Rating: 
Summary: I Hated this Movie!!
Review: I simply find the premise of "Monster's Ball," in which a character played by one of our most prized beauties, falls in love with a racist white prison guard, played by an actor named Billy Bob, no less, who led her husband to his execution, deliberately insulting. With its profanely incongruous and utterly implausible scenario, the plot of this film is a sneering, in-your-face taunt to all black men. Imagine the seething indignation that a Jewish man might feel while watching a story in which the widow of a Nazi concentration camp victim has an intimate relationship with the SS officer that shoved her husband into one of those ovens at Auschwitz! The motivation behind this movies phenomenon is clearly rooted in the legacy of slavery. Many plantation owners were notorious sexual predators who forced themselves upon slave women and girls of their choice at their leisure, and black men were powerless to stop it. On today's plantation, Hollywood confirms that 'old times there (truly) are not forgotten' as they recreate those longed-for days of unrestricted dalliances with their chattel by casting the best looking black actresses with white actors. Now let's flip the scenario as we consider the country music vocalist Leann Rimes. She is a beautiful, successful recording artist who may act in movies someday. But can you imagine her first role being analogous to Halle's, that of a white widow with a black prison guard as her lover? It's inconceivable! Why? I think it's because the media has so successfully demonized black men that the movie industry would run the risk of offending white male viewers with such a pairing. But they obviously have no such concerns about offending black men. Obviously Hollywood couldn't care less about what black men would like to see. The sex scene in "Monsters Ball' is so graphic that according to Berry herself, her husband walked out of the theater. And we must remember that when the movie industry finds that a particular type of movie is successful, it makes a whole bunch more just like it. So you can bet now that Halle won an Oscar for "Monster's Ball," and maybe even just because of the acclaim her portrayal has generated, we can expect to see more movies with fine black women with mangy, white redneck 'billybobs' that de-humanize and execute their black men; after all, vicious racists need love too. I find that prospect truly monstrous.
PS--It took Denzel to play a "bad guy" to finally get his Best Actor Oscar after having done splendidly in so many movies as the "good guy." Coincidence? I think not.....
- words stated by M. Willis, thoughts shared by many...
Rating: 
Summary: Umm... well just read below
Review: The first half was very good. It's very intense and about a totally tragic father-son story, rassits, a little bit of a love story and the process of bringing someone to the electrical chair. It's the kind of movie that just makes you sob. but the second half is very [bad]at times and drops the whole story.
Rating: 
Summary: A Timeless Masterpiece
Review: Monster's Ball is a controversial film based around the lives of Hank Grotowski (Billy Bob Thornton), and Leticia Musgrove (Halle Berry). Grotowski is introduced as a Caucasian male working for the Department of Corrections, in Georgia. For Hank, the only life he knows is that of his work. This is shown through his relationships with his father, Buck (Peter Boyle), and his son, Sonny (Heath Ledger), who is also a corrections officer for the state of Georgia. However, as the story progresses, Leticia Musgrove is forcefully thrown into Hank's life. Leticia is a widowed, African-American female struggling to keep her house, her car, and most importantly to keep her life together. As Hank's and Leticia's relationship explores areas neither of them expected, their views and ways of life take that same unexpected turn.Monster's Ball touches all sorts of social issues. The most prominent issue throughout the whole picture is racism. It is clearly shown how racial prejudices are passed to the next generation, and also how they are broken between generations. Although this is the major issue throughout the film, Monster's Ball also touches base with issues such as capital punishment, family issues, and the complexities of relationships--especially those involving different races. Overall, this film left me with a great feeling. It has been a long time since I have seen a movie with such character development as this. I was simply amazed at how radically the characters developed within the duration of the film. I have definately found a new favorite movie, and it is one I can truely call a timeless masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE'S
Review: I thought the movie was excellent when I saw it in the movie. The reson for it was because it was an original type of movie is wasn't the shoot-it-up movies or comedy movies, or realistic movies. It will always be a classic in my collection of movies. It is an original.
Rating:
Summary: Riveting, Realistic Drama
Review: It's very rare, but occasionally a film comes along that plays out so realistically that it doesn't even seem like you're watching a movie, but participating-- albeit as an observer-- in this particular drama of life that is unfolding around you. And so it is with "Monster's Ball," a riveting film, directed by Marc Forster, that is so real it transcends entertainment and becomes a voyeuristic experience that leaves you with the sense that you've been through everything that's happened yourself. It's a thought provoking examination of relationships and perspectives, including the ingrained, subjective attitudes-- especially prejudices-- that have such a profound and lasting affect on our lives, as well as the lives of those around us. It's a film that says so much about the way we respond to one another, as well as certain situations, and why; in short, it's about the world that we, as a society, have created and must live in together-- right or wrong, good or bad, black or white. And at the heart of the story is a message that rings through loud and true; a perception that we can do better-- and must-- if we are to survive as a civilized, dignified and progressive species. In the final analysis, we are, all of us, members of the family of Man; and it's time we realize and acknowledge it. After eleven years on death row at a Georgia State Penitentiary, Lawrence Musgrove (Sean Combs) is out of appeals and is headed for the electric chair. There to make their final visit is Musgrove's wife, Leticia (Halle Berry), and their son, Tyrell (Coronji Calhoun), while veteran corrections officer Hank Grotowski (Billy Bob Thornton) oversees the proceedings. Also on hand is third-generation corrections officer Sonny Grotowski (Heath Ledger), who during Musgrove's final walk discovers he doesn't have the stomach required to perform his duties, which will later create some conflict with his father. Bigotry, it seems, is something of a family trait; Hank's father, Buck (Peter Boyle), a retired corrections officer, is the product of a time when African Americans "knew their place." But it's an attitude that's apparently become somewhat watered down in his family from one generation to the next. Hank seems almost indifferent, even apathetic, when it comes to race, though under stress, especially, he defers to his father's views. Sonny, however, has a mind of his own, and by nature is more willing to embrace all of the myriad and diverse aspects of life as he sees it. And with the three generations of Grotowski men living under one roof, needless to say, there is more than some tension in the household, which inevitably leads to tragedy. Leticia, meanwhile, is riding a downward spiral in her own life, attempting to cope with both her husband's situation and a problem with her son, while having to make a living on top of it all. And just when it seems that her world is about to fall into total collapse, circumstances bring her into contact with-- of all people-- Hank Grotowski. Call it fate, or just one of those things; but it becomes a turning point, not only in their lives, but in the lives of a number of people close to them. And very soon, for Hank and Leticia, especially, the world becomes a very different place. Working from a screenplay by Milo Addica and Will Rokos that is intelligent, incisive and uncompromising, Forster delivers an emotionally absorbing drama that is raw, insightful and presented with a subtle intensity that is so thoroughly engrossing it becomes mesmerizing. It's a film that does not allow the viewer the luxury of casual observation or an indifferent attitude; the story is told in terms that are so brutally honest and starkly realistic that it does not provide for neutral ground or ambiguity on the part of it's audience. This is powerful drama, and Forster makes sure that everyone watching has the sense of actually being included as the story unfolds. He makes you a part of this world in which Hank, Leticia and the others live-- there's no standing on the sidelines with this one. As in real life, with this film you are confronted with situations that demand resolution and force you to make decisions. It takes a number of elements to make a truly great film, of course, and in this one they all come together beautifully-- especially in the performances, beginning with Billy Bob Thornton, who is without question one of the best leading men/character actors in the business. He's a true chameleon who never ceases to amaze with his versatility and his ability to create believable, interesting and memorable characters, from Karl (arguably his most memorable) in "Sling Blade," to Jacob in "A Simple Plan," or Russell in "Pushing Tin" to Hank in this film, whom he captures with absolutely incredible subtlety and depth. It's a terrific performance, delivered with nuance and restraint, and it should have earned him an Oscar nomination, as it was clearly one of the best performances of the year. What really takes this film to a higher level, though, is the extraordinary performance by Halle Berry as Leticia, in whom she creates a finely layered, three-dimensional character that is singularly effective and entirely believable and real. In Leticia, you will find every conceivable emotion woven around conflicts born of the definitive complexities of life, the things we all experience in one way or another at one time or another, and to which everyone will be able to relate on some level, according to personal experience. In this performance, Berry does it all and gives her all, and it's work for which she deservedly was awarded the Oscar for Best Actress. When you come away from this film, it's with the indelible images of Leticia and Hank burned into your memory, thanks to the talents of Berry, Thornton and Forster. "Monster's Ball" is compelling, unforgettable drama, and an example of filmmaking at it's best.
Rating:
Summary: CONGRATS TO HALLE AND TO A GREAT MOVIE....!
Review: I have seen this movie twice. I understood and liked it more the second time a round. Halle Berry was simply amazing of this movie! Her performance in this movie was simply the best performance of the year MALE or FEMALE. She truly deserved the Oscar for her uninhibited performance. Her character had so many levels and dimensions that when you walked out of the theatre you truly felt like you learned something about Halle. Everything in this movie made sense. I didn't feel like anything was sensationalized- even the explicit sex scene. Both of the characters desperately wanted to feel good and we all know when we as humans want to feel good a lot of us turn to sex no matter how meaningful it is. So many people were shocked by that scene that they couldn't digest the rest of the movie. Get over it - it isn't any worse then what you are doing in your own bedroom! The movie dealt with so many issues such as prostitution, obesity, racism, the death penalty etc. Watching the movie was thought provoking and made you question your own beliefs and ideas. In a time when people are consumed by eye candy such as Lord of the Rings it is good to watch a movie like Monster's Ball. Congrats to all who had a hand in making such a profound film!
Rating: 
Summary: No Cinderella at this Ball
Review: After hearing all the hype about this movie I really expected something Great. Boy was I wrong! Yes the performances were good but nothing Oscar worthy. Halle Barry's role could have been switched with Sissy Spacek's role in In the Bedroom and nobody would know a difference. Both feature grieving mothers with a lot of screaming and tantrums with no real payoff in the end. Nicole Kidman was the true Oscar worthy performance this year for not only having to act but also singing and dancing on top of it. Monster's Ball moves at a very slow pace and after about an hour I couldn't care less what happened to these characters. When I pay for a movie I go to be entertained and with this one I should have stayed home!
Rating:
Summary: Very good flick
Review: Halle Berry's performance in Monster Ball was excellent. She proved to everyone that she has more than good looks.
Rating:
Summary: Rx for Depression and hopelessness
Review: This is the first movie I have ever walked out on. What starts out as depressing continues on to go down hill in emotions from there. The only likeable characters are dead within the first hour of the film. One tragedy after another until there is no hope left. The so called "hot" sex scene is so needy and desperate that that was it for my boyfriend and I. So sad-definately not a "feel good" movie. Don't know how it ends, that is true, but could not bear another minute of the desperate depressions aroused by watching it as long as I did. I was amazed about the Oscar. The whole story seemed so contrived to me. Halle probably did the best she could with the subject matter............
Rating:
Summary: That sound you hear is the glass ceiling shattering...
Review: hail, hail, halle, on her magnificent accomplishment, on the being the first black actress in the 74 year history of the oscars to win best actress. and this performance is definately a 360 from anything she has done in her 11 years in hollywood. in fact, one who watches this film may do a double take to see if it is really her, that she was capable of conveying such emotion and depth. the interracial romance with billy bob thornton is daring, to say the least. interracial relationships are always controversial, an interracial relationship set down south is like pouring gasoline on a campfire. seems like over the past year hollywood has become more open minded about making interracial movies. i have seen 3 in the past year ( save the last dance, crazy/beautiful, and "O".) halle's and denzel's triumph will no doubt inspire other minority actors and artists to raise their talents a notch, to bring out the best in their work...
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