Monster's Ball

Rating:
Summary: Halle Berry's shining moment
Review: Independent filmmaking is alive and well and evident in Monster's Ball. This film had a minuscule $4 million budget, a terrific script and a director not afraid to take some risks. Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry practically donated their time they were paid so little. The result is a powerful and disturbing film that walked off with a boatload of awards, not the least of which was a best actress Oscar for Berry.

Director Marc Forster conjures a forceful presentation with stark sets, next to nothing in the way of props and other set decoration, and a non existent soundtrack. Forster does it with innovative use of the camera, sharp editing and most importantly excellent actor direction. Forster could have done better at character development and the ending is nebulous and unsatisfying, but these shortcomings can be partially forgiven for the films many assets.

This is an actors' showcase, with outstanding performances all around. Heath Ledger makes a short but intense appearance as the son that Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) despises. Ledger pumps the character full of repressed anger and disappointment, simultaneously resenting him and seeking his father's approval. Peter Boyle is despicable as Hank's bigoted and self centered father. Billy Bob Thornton delivers his best performance since "Sling Blade" with a complex character torn between his prejudices and his attraction to Leticia (Halle Berry).

Of course the big story here is Halle Berry. Berry shows once again that she is not just another pretty face. I first took serious notice of her after seeing her performance in "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge", a little seen TV movie in which she won both a Golden Globe and an Emmy. After that marvelous dramatic performance, I was surprised that she couldn't land roles any better than "Swordfish" and "X-Men", which tapped nothing more substantial than her looks.

In this film, Berry is sexy and alluring, but these are only incidental attributes. She displays a full range of emotions from vibrant elation and unbridled passion, to utter despondency. She practically rips her heart out and throws it at the camera. She can convey volumes with a single look, or come completely unglued with equal impact. Her Oscar for this performance was richly deserved and had nothing to do with her race as so many have rationalized. She just flat out won it going away. As good as Nicole Kidman was in "Moulin Rouge", it wasn't even close.

This is an excellent film that is worth seeing for the acting alone. I rated it a 9/10. It is a compelling and deeply disturbing drama that serious film lovers will surely enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: My confusing review!
Review: Yes i gave it 5 stars but i really didn't like the whole movie. The first part waiting for the execution of Halie Berry's husband was just way to tense to be entertaining. It was like the director wanted everyone in the audience to experience "waiting" to die or something. I thought it was stressful to watch.Now for Halie Berry herself. She gave a wonderful and renching performance of a struggling black mother who has an overweight child who loves candy bars. She really deserved the award for Best Actress. As you know i don't treat movie actors all that kindly but in Berry's defense she gave one-hell of a performance. Now here is the "But",,,,,With all her beauty and all her extreme wonderful talent was it really necessary for her to expose so much of her body? Were the sex scenes really needed to be filmed with Billy Bob and Halle? I'm not a prude and i have had my share of porn movies, But why did she have to lower herself into doing this in front of a camera. She has proved herself over and over again in films that she is turly a talented actress. To me it just cheapend her and the film. I realize that todays "Hollywood" goes into shock value to the audience because most actors can't make it on acting alone and need either special effects or sex to help sell tickets.All in all i give this film a very high mark. Just be prepared to get a little stressed out while watching it. It's no light-hearted comedy that's for sure.

Rating:
Summary: not good..
Review: i bought the dvd thinking that i was buying a great movie.
but i was wrong.
theres nothing interesting about it, the acting is poor and what an ending. terrible.
TILL THIS DAY I STILL THINK THAT NICOLE KIDMAN DESERVED THE OSCAR BETTER THAN HALLE BERRY.

Rating:
Summary: music
Review: I thought the music in this was good.I would like to know who the artist is for all the songs and where i can order it or buy it,the movie was very good to. Thank you

Rating:
Summary: Hallie and Billy Are Good, But The Movie Needs Help!
Review: Monster's Ball is a very intense movie. It garnished Hallie Berry with her Academy Award and I must admit she did a fantastic job, however this movie is not something I would see again. The performances are good and even Peter Boyle is a standout. Hallie tries hard and performs very well.

Billy Bob Thorton is also a deep performer in this piece. Coupled with a really weird town and a really backwards thinking community - this movie shows the harsh realities of prejudice, love, hate and rivalry among a father who doesn't love his son and a son who loves his father.

I wouldn't recommend this for the faint of heart and it has a real depressing theme - even Hallie's own child gets a strange twist. Overall the DVD doesn't have a lot of extra features but it does have few trailers of some better films. I was disappointed in this and wasn't quite expecting what I saw. I rented it because this is not a film I would buy.

Rating:
Summary: THIS CROSSES THE LINE BETWEEN DEPRESSION AND ACCOMPLISHMENT!
Review: First and foremost, I just want to say that Halle Berry deservedly won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Even though the film picked up an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay, the film should have had more recognition as far as Academy Awards.

There are several elements about this film that needs to be brought to attention, but I wouldn't have enough room to mention all of them on this particular review.

I have heard numerous people protest that this film is stupid, that it's a waste of time, it's not worth watching, that it makes absolutely no sense, or that it is a total disappointment. - - NOT TRUE - -

Some people will take another person's opinion into perspective and then accept it for granted. - - DON'T - - (at least not in this case) Give this movie a chance. It deserves every chance it can take. This motion picture is proficient and it will forever in my mind remain everlasting and unforgettable.

What I like best about this film is the mood changes. Mood drastically changes as it is rolling from from beginning to end. Now you know what they say, that it is caused by the character's overall emotions. Yes that is true, but in this case, only partially. The change of mood is also caused by the events that make up the plot created by the characters, the environment of the film, and, of course, the film's scoring (music). Asche and Spencer did an outstanding, superb, and compelling job with writing, creating, and composing the music to this film. If it hadn't have been for the music, I don't think my mind would have set so highly and clear on the movie as it did.

Don't get me wrong, as I said before, every aspect of this film is wonderful. However, if one aspect of the film is crossed out, such as the performances, it can cost the film's grasp of emotion and the film could not be as magnificent as it was or it might even be ruined. Remember that!!!!

This film may contain many adult issues, but you cannot let that statement cancel out the film as a whole. It stands out to its potential.

Finally, you can't forget the remarkable performances created by Billy Bob Thornton, Heath Ledger, Sean Combs, and especially Peter Boyle. Their performances, along with Halle Berry and the rest of the cast ties in together to create a story about what it is like to be depressed, frustrated, cared, sensitive, and above all loved.

This motion picture deserves all of the recognition it can get. Most of that can come from you, viewers. It's everything I could ask for, and it could be everything you would ask for.

Watch it today!!

Rating:
Summary: Not What I Expected
Review: Ok, let me start with the fact that I felt let down a bit because of all the hype. And if Halle Berry deserved an oscar than so did Billy Bob Thorton.

Billy Bob plays a racist, ... parent and prison guard who learned his ideals form his racist, ... father. He sees the light and runs into Halle and forms an attachment to her. The rest, so they say, is history. While Halle's performance is very good I feel that Billy Bob's was more of a progressive character study through changes and issues.

And the ending left something unresolved (in my opinion). The hype was worth more than the movie. It drug a little but was a good character study if you could stand the pace.

Rating:
Summary: This Mess is not fit for a Porno so WHY an Oscar?
Review: Somebody please tell me what is this? This movie was done poorly, Im thinking maybe an amateur wrote the story line. The acting was also poor to say the least, nothing about this flick was intriquing enough to a win certificate, let alone an Oscar. The sex scenes were wack and tacky and Halle's little boy was not believable in his resemblance to his parents and the scene where he was crying was also sooooo fake looking. I was not inspired only moved to get up and turn it off. My only qusetion is.........Who's Idea was this? One Love.

Rating:
Summary: MONSTEROUSLY HORRIBLE
Review: OH JEEZ..........WHERE DO I START?.....THE FIRST HALF OF THIS DREADFUL DREARY FILM IS AN INDEPTH LOOK AT DEATH ROW AND THE MINUTIA OF AN EXECUTION......THEN WE HAVE THE FEMALE LEAD WHO IS AN ABUSIVE MOTHER OF AN OVERWEIGHT SON THAT DIES BY GETTING HIT BY A CAR.....THIS CLUELESS VICTIM MEETS A RACIST REDNECK WHOSE FATHER IS ALSO A RACIST REDNECK AND THEY SOMEHOW, WITHOUT THIS GRIM DRAMA EVER DEALING WITH ANY OF THEIR REAL ISSUES, FALL IN LOVE........OH, HAPPY JOY JOY........ONE OF THE MOST DEPRESSING AND PHONY FILMS OF ALL TIME.......BILLY BOB AND ALOT OF OTHER HOLLYWOOD TYPES THINK THAT MAKING A FILM THAT DEALS WITH GRITTY SUBJECT MATTER IS TO TOUCH UPON THE TRUTH.....ONLY GREAT ART COMES CLOSE TO THE TRUTH OF THIS EXISTENCE.....BAD ART LIKE THIS ONLY ADDS TO THE MISERY..........

Rating:
Summary: Monster Balls
Review: The film shouldn't be called "Monster's Ball." The correct title should be MONSTER BALLS because that's exactly what Billy Bob (on a downward spiral since "Slingblade") acquires by the time we get to the end of this very silly film.

When we first meet Billy Bob, he's working as a prison guard, living with his rascist dad,and picking on his only son. Billy Bob's idea of a relationship is twisted--and we know this because both he and his son use the services of same prostitute who very obligingly bends over upon command and doesn't expect much in the way of conversation.

However, after a catastrophic event (and I won't reveal it because you might want to see this film), Billy Bob undergoes a sort of catharsis.

He buys a service station(although he doesn't appear to ever work there), sticks his dad in a nursing home and manages an impressive repertoire of sexual positions with Halle Berry (who doesn't have to bend over).

By the end of the film, it is clear that Billy Bob has developed a set of MONSTER BALLS and that he and Ms. Berry will live happily ever after as he spoon feeds her ice cream under the stars.