Monster
Movie Review
Amy Stevens
Issue date: 9/10/04 Section: The Edge
- Page 1 of 1
Grade: A
If audiences of director Patty Jenkins' "Monster" knew anything about the film before buying popcorn and actually sitting down to view it, they probably thought the gritty film was dubbed "Monster" to describe Aileen Carol Wuornos, a serial-murdering highway prostitute. But the instant the film begins, it becomes abundantly clear that Jenkins has set up an arcane glimpse of Wuornos' life that allows viewers to see the double meaning behind this masterpiece's title.
Wuornos, played by Charlize Theron, begins her journey as a little girl living in Florida with big dreams of becoming a movie star. Through a series of dysfunctional events involving human monsters in life, she embarks on a self-degrading road to prostitution in order to survive. Befriending an awkward lesbian named Selby (Christina Ricci), Wuornos gets in touch with her own sexuality and immediately falls for her innocence. As their relationship is budding, Wournos is involved in a life-threatening incident that begins her killing spree.
Charlize Theron's academy award-winning performance is one of the best given in cinematic history. Theron fans will be amazed as they see this light-hearted South African beauty transform into a deeply troubled, lost soul who is trying to find her way in all the wrong places. Gaining weight and tossing her makeup, Theron fell deeply into this woman's life as a shining reflection of who Wurnos really was.
Ricci also gives one of her best performances to date, which is quite impressive considering that she has been acting in films since a small child. She has a spark that convinces audiences that Wuornos would fall in love with her.
Reminiscent of Kimberly Pearce's "Boys Don't Cry," each scene is a harsh reality that shows how love can be twisted into being evil and how the everyday world is filled with monsters. Jenkins, who has only three films under her belt, conceives a flawless script and film in "Monster." Although this is not a light-hearted trip to the playground, audiences can really enjoy this analysis of the human spirit.
If audiences of director Patty Jenkins' "Monster" knew anything about the film before buying popcorn and actually sitting down to view it, they probably thought the gritty film was dubbed "Monster" to describe Aileen Carol Wuornos, a serial-murdering highway prostitute. But the instant the film begins, it becomes abundantly clear that Jenkins has set up an arcane glimpse of Wuornos' life that allows viewers to see the double meaning behind this masterpiece's title.
Wuornos, played by Charlize Theron, begins her journey as a little girl living in Florida with big dreams of becoming a movie star. Through a series of dysfunctional events involving human monsters in life, she embarks on a self-degrading road to prostitution in order to survive. Befriending an awkward lesbian named Selby (Christina Ricci), Wuornos gets in touch with her own sexuality and immediately falls for her innocence. As their relationship is budding, Wournos is involved in a life-threatening incident that begins her killing spree.
Charlize Theron's academy award-winning performance is one of the best given in cinematic history. Theron fans will be amazed as they see this light-hearted South African beauty transform into a deeply troubled, lost soul who is trying to find her way in all the wrong places. Gaining weight and tossing her makeup, Theron fell deeply into this woman's life as a shining reflection of who Wurnos really was.
Ricci also gives one of her best performances to date, which is quite impressive considering that she has been acting in films since a small child. She has a spark that convinces audiences that Wuornos would fall in love with her.
Reminiscent of Kimberly Pearce's "Boys Don't Cry," each scene is a harsh reality that shows how love can be twisted into being evil and how the everyday world is filled with monsters. Jenkins, who has only three films under her belt, conceives a flawless script and film in "Monster." Although this is not a light-hearted trip to the playground, audiences can really enjoy this analysis of the human spirit.
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