Rating: 
Summary: I hated this movie.
Review: I wouldn't recommend it to anyone I like. It got me very depressed at the end. I hate the plot , the story and everything!
Rating: 
Summary: Flat
Review: This movie ends up flat. The numerous sex scences seem their just to push the envelope of an R movie verses a porn movie. Few of the characters or plots are explored. It is hard to agree with other reviewers who mention that the movie is just smart, not needing to explain everything. If that is true, why the numerous sex scenes? I can't recommend this movie to anyone. Monster's Ball fullfills the notion that movies critics enjoy what the average viewer will despise.
Rating:
Summary: This flim didn't cut it...
Review: A decent cast on a wasted and overrated movie. I have no problems with films that want to tackle racism and interracial relationships. What I do expect is a story to be told with reasonable amount linearity. Questions: What are the odds of a prison guard on death row falling for an executed inmate's spouse? Why is the relationship between Hank and Sonny (father and son) terrible? Why don't we see Halle Berry's character being more proactive in trying to help her overweight son than verbally and physically abuse him? Beside the possibility of feeling sorry for Halle's character what reasons drove Billy Bob Thornton's character to cease from being a bigot? These are just some of the problems with this film and beside being boring
scenes I feel I wasted my time watching this movie. There are many gaps in this film that should have been addressed before moving on to a new scene, questions that any reasonble person should have answered. I did not find this film entertaining and felt like I was watching a soft porn movie in sex scenes that overstayed its welcome. This is NOT an Oscar winning performance for Halle Berry, she had better chances for an Oscar in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.
Rating:
Summary: less than one star
Review: There aren't many movies that evoke emotion in me, either positive or negative. Monster's Ball, however, stirred me to write this review.
I thought I'd seen it all until I saw this movie which hits the bottom of the barrel for [rubbish]. As far as believability in the plot, none, nada, zilch. Just what are the odds that so many coincidences of fate that could possibly come together so conveniently? Not much! A much better plot would be Alice In Wonderland for strangeness. Therefore, I found it entirely unbelievable.
As for Ms. Berry in her role, WHAT WAS SHE THINKING? I guess her next move would be to become a porn star. Why she would even want to or accept an award for such a piece of filth is beyond me. I'd think she would rather want to hide her head in shame. I'll bet sometime later, she will come to look at this much the same as Sidney Poitier did for his role in Porgy & Bess.
As for Thorton, I really didn't expect much anyway. White [rubbish] is still white [rubbish]. You can't much improve on that.
Rating:
Summary: I was tricked into wasting my time
Review: I am not a literary genius, so my review won't sound so wonderful. All I have to say is that Monster's Ball was one the most boring films I have watched. (The film, My Left Foot, is the top of the boring list). I watched a movie that left a lot to the imagination. The only performance I enjoyed was given by Sean "Puffy" Combs. If people want to see ... (or just see Halle's ...) watch another film, i.e. Swordfish. At least there is a movie that is interesting enough to keep me watching. During Monster's Ball, I had the urge to just turn the movie off and sit in my overheated non-airconditioned apartment. I didn't even have cable at the time. But I finished the movie and was really upset. The movie had a long and drawn out feeling to it. Everything seemed slow. I can't believe there was an Oscar won by anyone...
Rating:
Summary: What the Hell is this????
Review: This movie is a porn movie and that is it. No story. No good acting. No clothing. NO BRAINS!! This is this most dumbest movie ever and that is why I lost five dollars. This is a waste of your money and that's all. I mean I would rather watch The ring over and over cause it is better than this movie. I hope that they take back Halle Berry's oscar because she didn't do to well in this. I mean I could get an oscar for just standing here and looking dumb. So save your self a whole lot of money and watch something else.
Rating:
Summary: not what I expected
Review: After all the Oscar hype, I expected to be moved by this film. Instead I was disappointed and annoyed by the unanswered questions in the story. What happened to Hank's mother (all we know is she took her own life) and his wife? Why on earth did he hate his son (and his wife)? And how could a mother, no matter how poor, drag herself to work the day after her son is killed? With all of the slapping and shoving going on, I was starting to wonder if Letisha actually pushed her son into the path of that hit & run driver. Most performances were good -- I thought Heath Ledger's character would have been interesting to explore. Halle Berry was good, but was she "Oscar-worthy"? I wasn't all that impressed. The infamous sex scene was difficult to watch. And boy, was I relieved when Hank lost his urge with the hooker.
Overall, the plot was too contrived (what are the chances that the executed inmate's widow would cross paths with the executioner) and too simple (Hank suddenly treats his black neighbors like human beings, actually offers them some work, and takes Letisha into his home to "take care of her"). What does this say of Letisha?
Rating: 
Summary: MONSTR'S BALL SPECIAL EDITION
Review: Arriving without much fanfare, MONSTER'S BALL - SPECIAL EDITION is an extended version but not called a director's cut. What it does is significantly expand the famous nude love scene between Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry. In fact, it looks like every foot of film from all camera angles has been included. Gratuitous nudity is not necessarily a bad thing, but this longer scene made me feel like a peeping Tom. Still, this is a gripping love story that knowingly plays with and against racial stereotypes. Interesting extras: Sundance Channel's anatomy of a scene, and cast and director interviews.
Rating: 
Summary: Stark, riveting story of need and survival
Review: This movie has stuck with me like few I have watched. It is easy to say it is an unlikely love story and judge it as such, but I see it differently. This is about two people whose reality smacks them hard in the face, and their respective and separate paths to their own survival. Hank and Leticia are bound in mutual grief and anguish. This film is about finding feelings again after the culimnation of painful lives and devasting loss. It is less about wanting each other as finding a way to survive another day in their respective own skin. Both Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thorton were amazing. Peter Boyle was so good I actually did not care what happened to him. No sympathy. If you are looking for easy answers, simple truths and clear good/evil, go buy a blockbuster and make some popcorn. If you want to see a superbly acted character study of desparate people trying to survive themselves, this is for you. Even the ending, which some may find ambiguous, somehow made sense. These character's lives were not simple, they were desperate, empty, filled with pain and hopelessness. In each (not through each other as I do not think they ever really 'connected') they found a way to survive, maybe atone, and go on another day. Unforgettable.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping, Thought-Provoking, and Extremely Intense
Review: Monster's Ball is gritty and real. I have never gotten so close to characters in a movie before. Heath Ledger, Billy Bob Thornton, and Halle Berry brought simple, everyday people to a very personal level.
My favorite things about this film have to be the intriguing camera angles, the articulate accents of the cast, and the movie's decor. I enjoyed the angles and movements. I loved Ledger's husky southern accent, and I thought I could literally smell and taste the different sets-the diner, Berry's dirty apartment, and Thornton's tidy, musky home.
The movie has many obvious metaphors that drove me crazy. I don't say this in a bad way. I noticed that glass windows, white walls, and paint all run in themes throughout the film.
The director does a fabulous job of portraying a southern, racist family that begins a metamorphis from chance encounters.
Every event leads to another. Every person is linked by fate.
I was disturbed but awed by the powerful performances given by every cast member. It is extrememly obvious from the beginning that Halle Berry is indeed deserving of her Academy Award.
I enjoyed Monster's Ball very much. I'm not certain I would purchase this film. Monster's Ball is genuinely Oscar worthy, but a bit too intense for frequent entertainment(for me). I definitely don't mind the small ping of wonder I have in the pit of my stomach after having watched this movie, so I would highly recommend this film to all.
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