ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Freeman This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

dianamercedeshowell It is at least a five because I watched it to the very end. Harrelson is utterly inappropriate for the role of a gay escort of DC's bored housewives, but you cannot take your eyes of of him. I was about to pop out the disc when his character did something really dumb. I had to continue watching to understand why he did that. The Walker isn't a literal remake of American Gigolo, but Paul Schrader is recycling the same material. Carter Page III (Harrelson) thinks he has everything under control. Gets involved with the wrong people, the rich and powerful are always evil, right? Discovers these people aren't really his friends after he is suspected of killing a lobbyist and doors begin to slam in his face. Plenty of cameos by really good actors...Ned Beatty, Willem Dafoe, Lily Tomlin, Lauren Bacall. It isn't the script that keeps you watching, it is watching pros execute their craft. Except for these cameos and Harrelson's charisma, this movie has no pulse.

CitizenCaine With The Walker, director Paul Schrader continues the the isolated man theme he's explored several times in the past with Taxi Driver, Hardcore, Raging Bull, American Gigolo, Light Sleeper, and even Affliction to some degree. Woody Harrelson is Carter Page, a walker for society women who must make public appearances without their spouses or with someone if they have no spouse. Harrelson has a stable of women he works with including the legendary Lauren Bacall, who is amusing indeed in a limited role, Lily Tomlin, and Kristen Scott-Thomas. Scott-Thomas is Harrelson's focal woman in the group and of Schrader's plot. She pays a visit to her lover with Harrelson in tow only to discover the lover murdered. Harrelson, of course, becomes the prime suspect. As Carter Page, he undergoes somewhat of a personality change as he is forced to shed the superficial airs he puts on for his society friends in favor of taking a more active role in the investigation that follows in order to simultaneously save his own skin and maintain his integrity with his society friends.Schrader has always had an ear for dialog and has drawn excellent characterizations, and the characters in The Walker are no exception. Woody Harrelson is quite different as Carter Page than most audience members are used to seeing him. The cinematography by Chris Seager is rich with detail and serves as a counterpart to the artificiality of Washington politics surrounding the goings-on in the film. In tact is Schrader's isolated man against himself, others, and society as in all of the previously aforementioned films. The film tends to drag just a tad but accelerates nicely after the murder. It's not one of Schrader's best, but average Schrader is still above average when compared to other filmmakers. Ned Beatty has a key small role as a politician, and Willem Dafoe, a Schrader favorite, also has a small role. *** of 4 stars.

S.R. Dipaling Carter Page III(Woody Harrelson,out of his ordinary element and better than I think he believed he was),a product of Southern noblesse and high politics,has been living a comfortable,if perhaps lackluster and even(to greater or lesser degrees)disappointing lifestyle. Openly gay and a known quantity perhaps more for his famous name(his father was a governor;older generations were Virginia movers and shakers,slavers and whatnot)than for anything he's done or become,he glides through Washington D.C. society with relative ease,friendly with a number of senator's wives. He "walks" them to society benefits and social events,hence the title of the film.When one of his friends(Kristin Scott-Thomas,icily cool as ever)leaves the scene of a murder,Car(as he's called)decides to cover for her. That turns out to be a mistake,as he instead attracts a loudly public investigation by a one-time family rival. Soon,the crime,no matter how much it seems to have nothing to do with him,still sucks him in,as he finds himself trying to cover for his lady friend AND cover his own behind,as well as protecting his boyfriend(Moritz Bliebtreu).Some pretty notable supporting cast-mates(Lauren Bacall,Lily Tomlin,Ned Beatty and Willem DaFoe,in an inspired cameo)flesh out the rest of this story,which clocks about an hour forty but moves at a steady,unhurried pace. Writer-director Paul Schraeder purposefully makes this movie ENTIRELY a character sketch and builds story around that character,which is almost entirely Car Page. Harrelson's performance may look a little ill-fitting for a guy more known for more athletic,bravura roles(White men Can't Jump,Natural Born Killers,Kingpin,People vs. Larry Flynt,Zombieland come immediately to mind),but I think he still carries this off with remarkable poise and intelligence. The plot seems to dawdle some for something that is ostensibly pushed as a "thriller" or "suspense",but given the pedigree of this film and the material of the story,it's really neither incongruous nor disengaging.Another film that went VERY quietly from theatrical to DVD shelf,people who don't care to know anything detail about or get involved in their movie's stories can stay away from this. For anyone else,this is worth a look.

Neil Turner UrbanDictionary.com defines "walker" as "A man, asexual or homosexual, who can safely escort a woman, married or otherwise, to a social event, without hint of suspicion or relationship beyond friendship. A safe male companion." with the accompanying note: "Before becoming so waspish, Truman Capote was a reliable walker for Park Avenue society matrons." This film is a look at the life of such a man.Carter Page, III is a rich ne'er-do-well in Washington, D.C. who spends his time socializing with the wives of the Capital's elite. Carter's father was a powerful congressman for whom - even after his death - Carter harbors hate and resentment. Carter's father disliked and chided him for his sexuality and aimless existence. In DC society, Carter is reminded almost daily of his father's reputation as a respected congressman. His confidential reply to friends is that his father left congress many times richer than when he entered and honor had nothing to do with that reality.Carter has an on and off relationship with a struggling artist but is not willing to give up his glamorous life as a walker in order to commit to a long-term bond with the other man.One of the favors he performs for the wife of Larry Lockner, the minority leader of the Senate, is to drive her to assignations with her lobbyist lover. On one of these occasions, Lynn returns to the car in a state of shock having found her lover murdered. She begs Carter not to call the police and to drive her home. Carter does so and then returns to the apartment of the murdered man, calls the police, and says that it was he who discovered the body.Carter immediately falls under suspicion and spends the rest of the film in an attempt to unravel the truth of the murder. During that time, he is basically forsaken by all of his "friends" in the DC scene with his lover, Emek being his only true support.Twenty-eight years ago, Paul Schrader directed American Gigolo. This film calls up many of the elements of that earlier success. It is a beautifully worked tale of an outsider sought out by insiders who finds himself in a situation where support is needed but none comes from those who are able to exercise to greatest amount of power. We are privy to the private life of the man - one that he never exposes to the outside world. And we find that this man who is supposedly immoral - or, at least, amoral - is the most moral of them all.The Walker is filled with well-known stars starting with Woody Harrelson in the leading role. I was somewhat put off by his heavy Southern Virginia accent, but in retrospect, such an affected way of speech might be actually observed in such a man - think of Truman Capote. In any case, Harrelson gives a wonderfully restrained performance far different from most of his characters. He enables you to understand and care for Carter.Lauren Bacall is always a treat to watch, and she gives this film a wonderful Washington grande dame who is so wise to the ways of all yet not totally immune to the forces of the tides of opinion.Carter's friend, Lynn is played by Kristin Scott Thomas, and her character is probably the most complex in the film. She surely is an actress who can portray such a character with great insight.Add Lily Tomlin as another DC socialite, Ned Beatty as her powerful businessman husband, and Willem Dafoe as Lynn's ruthless politician husband and you can hardly go wrong with the spate of great performances.The Walker has numerous references to the evilness and deceit of the current administration but gives all politics, politicians, and their supporters their honest due. It entertains and causes you to think. For what more could you ask?