MONSTER Rating: (out of 5 stars) Director: Patty Jenkins Producers: Charlize Theron, Mark Damon, Clark Peterson, Donald Kushner, Brad Wyman Writer: Patty Jenkins Director of Photography: Steven Bernstein Cast: Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Lee Tergesen Visit the IMDB page for full cast and crew.

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Review by: Laurel Williams
12/15/03

Monster is based on the true-life story of Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute who was executed last year in Florida for killing six men. Writer-Director Patty Jenkins tells a dark story (I guess serial killer movies are never that light) that neither justifies nor vilifies Wuornos' actions, but at the same time fails to harvest any deeper meaning or insight.

Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron), a prostitute with a horrible past, meets Selby Wall (Christina Ricci), a young woman who has been sent by her father to live with family friends in an effort to cure her of her homosexuality. Selby has an instant crush on Aileen, and Aileen is hungry for love. Aileen wants to raise some cash so that she can take Selby out, and so she goes out to turn a few tricks. One John who picks her up ends up brutally beating her and raping her, and Aileen loses it and kills him. Selby pretends not to suspect anything when Aileen shows up with a bunch of money and a car, and she runs off with Aileen. Aileen proclaims that she's going to go straight and clean up her act. After several failed job interviews, Aileen decides to turn tricks again. The next John she kills is much easier, and pretty soon it is a cycle she can't seem to break out of -- even when the men haven't harmed her. She keeps killing in order to keep Selby from leaving her, but pretty soon the cops close in on Aileen and she and Selby are torn apart.

Charlize Theron completely transforms and "uglifies" herself for this role (which seems to instantly mean Oscar). It is hard to reconcile her performance in this film, with the polished, dignified Theron we are used to seeing. She does a good job of playing somebody incredibly damaged and dealing with her own demons, and she certainly pushes herself to the limits. In fact, you almost start to feel the limits of Theron's ability. Ricci's performance is good as the repressed and confused Selby.

It's hard to buy Theron and Ricci as a couple though. Perhaps it's because Theron towers over Ricci, but more likely it's that the beats dealing with their budding romance -- particularly in the beginning -- are the clunkiest and most awkward on the film. Since Aileen's love for Selby is the motivation for her serial-killing, the romance's lack of believability is a real problem.

(A Newmarket Films release. Opens in New York on December 24, 2003. Los Angeles and San Francisco release on December 26, 2003. Expands to more cities at later dates.)