Monster

Rating:
Summary: Oscar Time for Charlize
Review: An absolutely stunning, brilliant, tour-de-force by first time writer/director Patty Jenkins. Charlize will win the Oscar for this role or I'll never watch them again. Her body language alone is Oscar worthy.

An absolute must-see for students of the human condition.

Rating:
Summary: I sentence Charlize Theron to the Oscar for this one
Review: In Monster(2003), Theron plays Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute turned serial killer in Florida, who was eventually executed for her crimes.

Having seen much about Aileen on various news programs, documentaries, and crime shows, I was familiar with her courtroom antics, and her striking appearance. She was probably the only person on Earth anything close to Aileen Wournos. That is most likely a good thing.

The film centers on Aileen's relationship with a lesbian named Selby. They meet by chance, and have a bond that transcends sexuality, or common sense (as some might see it). Selby enters into Wournos' life at the wrong time, and is caught up in the whirlwind of a spree she may or may not have been fully aware of.

Christina Ricci is a weak-spined, naive, and tiny person compared to Theron (who gained 30 lbs for the role). She holds nowhere near the screen presence of her looming caretaker. As Ricci has not shown such absences in previous films, I believe this was a character choice, and is quite effective, though distracting. She's a bit uneven as Wuornos' lover, friend, concubine.

Theron, on the other hand, transforms her classic looks into a mirror image of the infamous female serial murderer. Gone are her curves and facial chisels. Here, she is simply unrecognizable.

Her performance lives up to the physicality on screen. Her Aileen is tough, desperate, deep, and troubled. Rarely can an actor portray so many levels of psyche whilst shooting guns, and baring a nude body covered in blood.

It's subjective whether or not Monster asks you to feel sorry for Wournos' plight. There is ample material to both fear her, and fear for children like her. That's one of the surprises about this film...just when you think you're being steered to an emotional level, you're taken down a completely opposite path.

Sadly, the film was not highly stylized, which would have added greatly to the immense portrayal of this woman. Beyond a tendency to stay in tight during dramatic moments, and some courier-style font for graphics, there is little to no tone set by the film.

All is left to Theron to carry.

She does not fail.

Simply a brilliant performance for the actress, and a chilling look at a woman who was a real Monster.

Rating:
Summary: DON'T BE DUPED!
Review: This is classic Hollywood movie and acting strategy: if you can't get an Oscar on merit then get it on shock value. Sadly this ploy has worked too many times before.

Come on! Aren't you tired of make-up and a violent shocking plot driving a story and supposed excellence in movie making and acting? It all reminds me of an old Warner Brothers cartoon where Daffy Duck, tired of being upstaged and outdone in a talent competition by a more talented, attractive and loveable Bugs Bunny, decides to take the ultimate step: he gathers an audience and swallows nitro glycerin, consumes black powder and straps himself with dynamite. He strikes a match. BOOM! Daffy evaporates! The crowd goes wild! As his spirit floats away Bugs compliments Daffy: "Great, Daffy. Absolutely brilliant!" Daffy thanks his pal and lamentingly responds: "Thanks. There's only one problem. I can only do the trick once."

So it is with such movies as MONSTER: There's only one such trick per movie and per actor involved. Oscar may be the result but to the Academy and the "successful" recipients have really fooled no one, except the gullible audiences that continue to be duped by these tactics.

And never mind the brutal make-up. Monster is a movie so unfeeling and so warped that any sensible person should completely ignore it. Don't be trapped into applauding nothing more than a glorification of everything that's wrong in our society.

THE HORSEMAN

Rating:
Summary: One of the best films ever
Review: Some people just can't seem to grasp the depth of this film.
They may simply write it off as a feminist love story gone awry or as a film against the death penalty. Or, even stranger yet, as a film that justifies death at the hands of Wuronos. But this movie does not do any of these things. Actually, the film is surprisingly apolitical, given the content--almost unbelievably so. Except for the scene in which Wuornos is tortured (which, if it happened, could easily set some already troubled person on a killing spree), there isn't a single scene of this film that compelled me to think that Wuornos was innocent of most of her crimes or that everything she does is entirely, or even mostly the fault of society.
One reviewer said this film makes men look bad. Well, of course it does! Every man would seem bad to a cheap hooker. For that matter, as a man, I know how my gender can be to women, and it actually isn't always kind. Women are often objectified and, if they look as downtrodden as Wuornos, are often the subject of ridicule. The film deals with this subject, but it by no means uses it to justify Wurnos's crimes.
One reviewer here actually suggested the film does not examine the main character's sanity...I completely disagree. What the film examines is how she justifies her acts to herself, and it shoes her mind cracking in the process. What is scary about this film is that it puts you into her head while she is doing this.
None of the other characters in the film are convinced that what Wuornos did was right, and, in the end, she ends up confessing to the crimes herself (as she did in real life). She was abused, she was neglected and she certainly was a low-life. Like most "low-lifes," she tries, at least in the film (and probably in real life, too) to get ahead in life, but never tries hard enough. She always fell short because she never had any reason to think she could advance. Nobody else thought she had a chance either.
That IS how people turn to crime, almost universally. A lack of hope compounded by serious mental problems/and or distress can seriously put peoples lives in jeopardy. With this in mind, any number of people could end up travelling paths similar to Wuornos. It could be your neighbors, your relatives, or even your family members...anybody you know in your community who can't fit in with the rest and can't withstand harsh circumstances.
Perhaps the movie is not as accurate a depiction of Wuornos as some would like, but it works. Whether she's murdering somebody, hooking or hanging out with her lesbian lover at a bar, the film is compelling. It is chilling and beautiful, unlike any film I have seen in quite a long time (if ever). Every second of this film is compelling, every actor is real. Every scene seems like it is really happening, which seems like it would be incredibly hard to achieve in any film.
'Monster' was a film that kept me awake the night after
watching it, pondering its content and the content of life itself.
This movie should not be viewed by people who like every question answered for them. It is an ambiguous, serious,
shattering and bleak film. Don't let that keep you from watching it, though.

Rating:
Summary: A CAREER MILESTONE FOR CHARLIZE
Review: charlize theron is the sole reason anyone should go and see this movie. she is a revelation and this is hands down the best performance of her career. i am saying right now that she will win the academy award on sunday. if i am wrong then oh well if it were up to me she would win. the reason i am so enthusiastic about her performance is b/c she made me forget the actress i was watching. the makeup helped a lot but it was her persona that really got me. we are so used to seeing her so dolled up and gorgeous that when you can no longer recognize the actress then there really is something special going on. aileen wuornos came alive throught this movie and i really felt who she was. she was a monster, but i think that the goal of this movie was to also show that she was a human being also. yes she had a rough life and what she did was unforgiveable but it does not change what she did. and it also does not change who she was and that was a person. there are so many heartbreaking moments in the movie that i cannot even begin to describe them. this movie would not have been as good also without a excellent performance from christina ricci, she makes the other half of this movie work. i just feel that words cannot accurately describe the true artistry of this movie. please go and see this movie, it is truly a classic performance.

Rating:
Summary: Superb performance
Review: I recall, somewhat vividly, the image of Aileen Wournos after her capture, and being chilled by what I perceived as a heartless monster.

What I hadn't considered at the time, was what CREATED the monster. And although many people would dismiss a statement like that as being some sort of "liberal excuse" for her actions, it isn't at all. One can feel bad for the horrible, nightmarish life Wournos had, while at the same time being perfectly comfortable with her paying the ultimate price for her hideous crimes.

(There is something to be said for understanding what leads some people to murder. Frankly, I consider that knowledge a step toward treating the CAUSE rather than the symptom. In other words, if you can figure out what causes people to kill BEFORE they do it, it's better than simply waiting for some poor slob to get murdered and then dole out the punishment afterward. No, it'll never prevent ALL murders, but if it prevents a few it would be worth a study or two.)

Anyway, "Monster" provides some of that insight. Theron does not simply act... she BECOMES Wournos. And while her looks may be the result of some really fine make-up (make-DOWN?) artist's work, Charlize Theron has simply NAILED the walk, the talk, the mannerisms, and body language of one of the scariest women to ever thumb a ride across Florida.

Rating:
Summary: Monster
Review: This movie was amazing. I had heard many things about Charlize Theron's performance, but words don't do her justice. She did a great job of playing a rough role, and the plot develops nicely. The movie does a great job of making us feel a bit of compassion for some of the things that Aileen Wuornos went through, but we also see how she must pay for her crimes. Theron's acting wasn't the only great part because Christina Ricci delivered a 5 star performance as Selby, Wuornos' lesbian girlfriend. I STRONGLY recommend anybody go see this movie because it is VERY powerful and will make you leave the theater talking about it for a long time to come.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Performance By Charlize Theron
Review: Charlize THeron gives an Academy Award worthy performance as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in this gripping,but sometimes dragging film co-starring Christina Ricci.The film starts as Theron sits on a highway bridge plotting suicide but then gets up and walks into a gay bar to get a beer where she meets Selby Wall (Ricci) who she eventually falls in love with although she tells Selby in the beginning she's not gay.After about forty five minutes Wuornos commits her first murder,which might or might not have been self defense although it is explained that way in the movie.The makeup artists did a great job at turning the beautiful Theron into the disgustingly ugly Wournos.I do hope Charlize Theron wins Best Actress at the 2004 Academy Award Ceremony.B- for the movie,A+ for the acting.Enjoy!!!

Rating:
Summary: too long in the sun
Review: MONSTER is the story Aileen Wournos, a Florida prostitute who committed several murders in the '80s and '90s, was caught, convicted, executed, and is now often referred as "the first female serial killer", as if she were a part of a Serial Killer Month.
As Wournos, the beautiful Charlize Theron has recieved much acclaim, and a Golden Globe. While its true that Theron gets to play a much broader range of emotions than usual, and does so capably, the celebrated makeup she wears renders her face curiously inexpressive and almost caricature-like. I was always aware that I was watching someone act, rather than a person onscreen. To be fair, the amount of hype given to the "uglying" of Theron made it hard for me to lose myself in the movie.
Much more troubling than the acting is the film's moral framework. The first murder Wournos commits is in self-defense (Lee Tergesen is very scary as her attacker). After that, she's never in a situation where she justifiably kills again, all the murders are executions. Apparently, Aileen and her sidekick/lover Selby (a dull Christina Ricci) need the money and cars they get from their victims, and hey, these guys are frequenting prostitutes anyway, so what's the big deal? Everything bad that Aileen does, we're led to believe, is due to the failings and the lusts of men. I'd be curious to know the source of the narration that Theron reads as Wournos. Is it derived from Wournos's statements? The naive voice over makes it sound like Aileen is someone for whom things just got a little bit out of hand, for whom the American Dream just didn't quite work out.
Aileen, who was apparently sexually abused as a child, may have indeed been a victim, but she lost that status the minute she killed someone. Perhaps unintentionally, MONSTER softens her behavior and in a way tries to make it ordinary, as part of some kind of "Nickel and Dimed" rebellion (apologies to Barbara Ehrenreich). Aileen returns to hooking after failing to get a steady job due to lack of education and her criminal past. These scenes are played for low comedy and (combined with several scenes of Wournos' barroom rants) suggest there's some kind of class warfare at work. The issue of her sanity is ignored entirely.
However much the movie might like us to think so, Aileen and Selby weren't outlaws, but a murderer and an accessory.

Rating:
Summary: One Woman's Heart of Darkness
Review: Obviously, to praise Monster is not to condone the behavior of people such as Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron) and Selby Wall (Christina Ricci) portrayed in this film. The same can also be said of other films such as In Cold Blood and Bonnie and Clyde. The film is an art form. To me at least, the objective as a reviewer is to comment as honestly and as thoughtfully as possible on any film as a work of art. Having recently seen Monster and then City of God, I view both as works of great art. Hence my Five Star rating of each. This review is composed prior to the announcement of those who are to receive Academy Awards. Either Theron or Diane Keaton would be a worthy recipient as best actress in a leading role but my preference is Theron. She commands our attention from her first to last appearance on screen. For me, she IS Wuornos. Moreover, I cannot recall another a character in another film whom she resembles. As portrayed by Theron, Wuornos is passionate, delusional, pathetic, frightening, vulnerable, and on occasion touching. I never expect to understand fully (or even partially) why Aileen Wuornos -- in real life, not in the film -- behaved as she did. Too much happened -- and did not happen -- in her life which is not revealed or even implied in this film. Who is the "monster"? Is it Wuornos? Is it the society into which she was born and within which she evolved to womanhood? Whom to blame? What to blame? Should any blame be assigned, other than responsibility for the murders committed? To repeat, I do NOT condone the behavior portrayed in this film even as I admire so much what Patty Jenkins achieves as director as well as the achievements of her cast and crew. For 109 minutes, I was fully engaged in -- not merely watching -- human experiences wholly unrelated to anything I had ever experienced in my own life. Perhaps this is what a film makes possible...and a movie does not. Perhaps therein is the difference between art and artifact. As these comments no doubt suggest, I am still absorbing and digesting what I have seen. This much I do know: I will never forget my brief visit to Aileen Wuornos' world but have no desire to return to it .