Rating: 
Summary: If it were the worst, you have something bad you could say
Review: I feel like I have to write SOMETHING out of sense of civic duty, almost. I've seen bad movies. Usually they leave you with a lingering sense of disgust/insult, whatever. Then, the foul impression goes away. When I am bothered it's usually because I feel shame at the waste of resources that were put into the making an awful film.But no, this was the WORST ! LOL. All I can really SAY is "I want my money back" -- for real. I was glad to see that very sentiment expressed by a number of reviers here at Amazon. As far as the sex scenes, no great accomplishment, but at least they were fairly straightforward without campy, " 'scuse-us-but-this-is-sex-now-ha-ha" cinematic affectations. The rest of the movie spoiled even this simple depiction of human intimacy -- which could otherwise have been basically beguiling screen voodoo. You'd at least have a few minutes worth of footage to TALK ABOUT ! I just want my money back, lol.
Rating:
Summary: Halle Barry is soo overrated!
Review: She was hardly in any movies before this. isn't that what the Academy Awards is supposed to be about? You have to earn your oscar not be pushed by the NAACP because no blacks have been chosen yet (I think Will Smith deserved the fist black male oscar for "Enemy of the State"). For example, while Queen Latifah was just as good as Katherine Zeta-Jones in "Chicago", Katherine has been in a lot more films and is more distinguished. Same with Nicole Kidman rightfully beating Renee Zellweager (Sp?). I think this film was totally overrated and the story is boring and predictable. I also dont see the big hype about Halle Barry. her acting isn't even that good. If you want a good black female actress check out Vanessa Williams on the new TV series "Boomtown." Totally underrated!!
Rating: 
Summary: Misery...but in a good way
Review: Although this movie in many ways can really drag you down for about the 1st hour of it. It keeps you interested and drags you into the plot. Halle and Billy Bob are both exceptional in this movie in the lead roles. I'm surprised at the criticism this movie got for the "demeaning" role that Halle played. Halle's role was very tough and demanding and her character was a very strong character. Their is a lot of coldness in this film as well...but I don't want to give away too much of the plot. Nevertheless it is a fantastic movie just can be extremely depressing at times. Halle deserved the oscar for her role and Billy Bob should have gotten it for his.
Rating: 
Summary: potential meets problems
Review: I was very entertained by "Monster's Ball" on several levels; the New Orleans locations were great to see, and the general mood of the film is pretty engaging, but in the end it led up to a cop-out ending, not to mention the characters being played up (or misconstrued) as heroes when they are in fact pretty pathetic types. The most fascinating aspect for me was the father-son dysfunctional family dynamics going on, and yet they are soon swept under the rug in lieu of more "controversial" experiences in this movie, namely the silly sex scene between Thronton and Berry, which was just plain overdone for the sake of being overdone, and was a hodgepodge of porn-movie cliches, doing nothing to further the story or character development. I wanted to see more of the relationship between father and son; these were some of the most powerful and best-played scenes in the film, yet they were cut off early on in a rather quick manner. Billy Bob Thornton is still, in my opinion, the most overrated actor going today; his accents are overdone affectations, and though he plays the scene where he blows his top at his son over execution protocol brilliantly, it also shows his limited acting palette, as he can't do much else very well. Too many times he seems to be reciting his lines with an overdone, goofy, and (for the location) dead-wrong accent. I somehow expected more at the end, but what we are left with are two people sitting on the steps in a pseudo-romantic pose, when the film can't seem to admit that these people are two losers, motivated solely by their guilt and self-hatred, yet unable to admit it to themselves. It's a puzzling, if powerful movie, and while it may hold your interest for the duration (it did for me), it doesn't add up to much, or have anything relevant to say.
Rating:
Summary: Lives up to the hype
Review: One of the most stunning things about the film is the stark contrast between the quality of the visuals and the incredibly bleak story. The prison, the dusty roads, the stuffy old house that Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) and his family live in are all beautiful, as seen through the eye of the cinematographer. I think the visual impact and symbolism that director Marc Forster was attempting in his earlier film EVERYTHING PUT TOGETHER fell flat and at times became heavy-handed and downright corny, but were strikingly present in MONSTER'S BALL. Thornton follows up his excellent performance in THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE with another role that appears written for him. (From what I know of Thornton, much of Hank's characteristics and background aren't too far from his own. For instance, I couldn't help laughing over his standing order of chocolate ice cream with a PLASTIC spoon, as I know he has many food phobias, among many others.) I was also thoroughly impressed by Halle Berry (as the Academy and so many others proved to be). This was the first time I'd seen her offer a full range of emotions, and she certainly wasn't afraid to delve into raw and ugly realities of life contained within the story. I must also mention the strong supporting cast, including Peter Boyle as Hank's father and Heath Ledger as Hank's son, rounding out his dysfunctional family. The "controversial" sex scene that has been so heavily discussed was one of the saddest moments I've ever seen portrayed on film; so heavy with desperate, awful need. Yes, it was somewhat graphic, but it was the emotional content more than the nudity or actions that got to me.
Rating: 
Summary: Won Me Over
Review: I have to admit, I came into this one expecting the worst, but came away wondering what took me so long to see it. First off, let me say Halle deserved every bit of her Oscar. Great, believable, performance. Not one moment of phoney, manufactured pathos. She dug deep and came up with honest emotion. The lovemaking.... OK... Have to pause here and gather myself...well, I really can't gather.....discuss amongst yourselves!!! OK, I'm back. Excellent acting, but well-earned kudos to Peter Boyle, even if he is reprieving his "Joe" character, to some extent. Maybe that was the idea. A bit of a tongue in cheek reference to that film. Some holes in the plot and a big tribute to Dead Man Walking, but this was actually much better done, both in terms of the capital punishment debate and the overall story.
BEK
Rating:
Summary: **** TRAGEDY< COMPASSION & HUMANITY ****
Review: Monster's Ball is a prison drama/romance with a difference. It's about tragedy, compassion, forgiveness, humanity and the need for love but this is no traditional Sunday afternoon made for television weepie. Brilliantly acted by Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry, Monster's Ball is an intelligent but often bleak drama, subtly directed and utterly compelling. The title, Monster's Ball is explained as being a condemned man's last supper before being executed. The condemned man in this case being Lawrence Musgrove (Sean 'Puff Daddy'/'P Diddy' Combs) an African-American who has been awaiting execution in a Georgia penitentiary for 11 years. Musgrove is married to a long suffering emotionally crushed waittress named Leticia (Halle Berry). Together they share an obese 13 year old son Tyrell who barely knows his father and seeks solace in junk food and candy bars. Supervising officer on Musgrove's execution squad is one Hank Grotowski (Thornton), a widower and one of three generations of career prison officers. Hank's only child Sonny (Heath Ledger), a sensitive but unloved young man, is also reluctantly on the execution squad. Together they both live with Hank's retired father Buck, a bitter, nasty and brutal rascist physically disabled by the combination of chronic arthritis and emphysema. The wives of both Buck and Hank have committed suicide and all 3 generations of the Grotowski family are trapped in unhappy lives devoid of feeling, emotionally numbed and it is against this backdrop that enormously tragic circumstances conspire to bring Hank and Leticia together in this fragile love story. As previously mentioned both Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry give stunning performances and contrary to popular opinion Berry's Academy Award was more than justified. Rather than being an act of political correctness it is actually one of the very few occasions where the Academy have actually got things right. Demonstrating a superb range of acting and range of emotions beyond most mere mortals Berry gives a touching and memorable performance as a woman crushed by an unfortunate catalogue of misfortune. Likewise, Thornton (one of American cinemas greatest talents) is captivating as an unloving bigot, bullied by his father and bully to his son, who begins a journey to back to life and emotional and spiritual salvation. This is a very adult, unsentimental and intelligent drama that doesn't pull its punches. It's not what could be described as entertainment as the first hour of the movie particularly presents an increasingly bleak story of grief, loss and tragedy. However, as an examination of the human condition and our intrinsic need for love this is very powerful and thought provoking stuff, which against all odds ends on a positive note of hope. Uncompromisingly well written and directed, Monster's Ball also features great supporting performances (against type) by the likes of Heath Ledger and a surprisingly sombre Sean Combs. Recommended; 4 stars ****.
Rating:
Summary: Worth Watching
Review: This film was well worth watching. After a very slow start, the story picked up steam and held my interest until the end. The key to liking this film is to be patient. The reason for watching this film is the story, not the presence of Heath Ledger or Billy Bob Thornton or Halle Berry. If you watch the film expecting some sort of variation on "A Knight's Tale" or "Slingblade" or "Boomerang", you will be disappointed. Do yourself a favor and forget about the other films that the actors have appeared in. Finally, this film could have been rated NC-17 for its realistic sex scenes. Keep that in mind when deciding whom to watch this film with.
Rating:
Summary: Heath Ledger
Review: Boring movie, the only reason I liked it was because I got to see Heath Ledger's rear.
Rating:
Summary: Monster's "Bawl"
Review: Wow, this movie really drains you... Monster's Ball is dark, depressing, gloomy, moody, tragic... whew... but so damn brilliant. Most hated it, but then again, The Mummy Returns raked in over 200 million at the box-office. 'Nuff said. (Just look at what appeals to the public. They're all racing to the theatres by the truckload just to see some cartoon mummys. Morons) This is a really great film. Acting, pacing, direction, (anti-Hollywood-)ending, dialogue... it's all really well-done. If you hated it, I'm not the least bit surprised.
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