The Walker

Carter Page III is a society “walker” whose job entails squiring the wives of the rich and powerful to events their husbands could not accompany them to. When one of his friends, Lynn, wife of a liberal senator finds her lover murdered, he agrees to say he found the body to save her and her husband political embarrassment. Soon Carter is caught in a web of Washington intrigue and mixed motives and the people he considered friends are deserting him one by one.
Boasting a terrific cast, led by the always-watchable Woody Harrelson, Paul Schraders The Walker is an entertaining drama that was overlooked by many in cinemas, but is worth taking for a spin on DVD.
The Walker sees Harrelson starring as Carter Page III, a man whose job it is to escort the wives of powerful men to the events that their husbands, for whatever reason, cannot take them to. And its all looking like a good life, until a murder derails everything. Page agrees to help cover things up, which naturally spins out a web of events that tests both his conflicting loyalty, and his honesty.
Its the kind of set-up that in lesser hands could have amounted to very little, but The Walker has Paul Schrader behind the camera. Its effectively the third in a loose trilogy of films hes made (the companion pieces being Light Sleeper and American Gigolo), and his steady hand delivers a intriguing and very watchable drama.
Schrader is, of course, able to attract quite a cast, and the call sheet serves The Walker well. Harrelson is in fine form in the best role hes had in some time, while the supporting cast of Lauren Bacall, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily Tomlin and Willem Dafoe add a stature and magnitude to the film.
The result is a quality drama, very well acted and tightly put together. Thus, even if you missed The Walker during its brief theatrical run, theres little reason not to pick it up now. Good stuff. –Jon Foster