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Monster Customer Reviews (94 - 96 of 100 Reviews)

Okay, okay, it was a good performance...
Yes, we now know Theron created a "magnificent, breathtaking, spine tinglingly heart smashingly resonantly beautifully" character. Her personal technique, which draws upon moments of transcending personal emotion often distracts from the reality of Aileen Wuornos' lack of emotion; in a sense, Theron brings a dimension to Wuornos which was actually never present. Wurnos as a two dimensional 'monster' is played by Theron as a three dimensional killer, with masculine tendency. If one studies footage of Wuornos, her femininity in a physical sense is far more pronounced than that of Theron's depiction. I draw comparison to spark some actual debate as to the performance itself. Theron herself is a fine observer of human tendency and characteristics, she is certainly not a mimic (which would have destroyed the integrity of the performance). If we are to dub this performance as the Greatest in the History of Cinema, we need to consider the reality of the subject the film is dealing with. We need to dissect whether or not this "Monster" is the object of common American desecration, the least American form and thus the penultimate outcast, or simply an ugly, abused person with a severe psychiatric condition. Does Theron contribute to a dimension which was never present, or am I simply ignoring the common thread of actor's intuition, to "bring an element of oneself into the character, be it empathy or personal recollection"?

Phenomenal!
I watched Monster without any expectations, save knowing that it was a movie about two women. At the end of the screening, i was totally blown away. One, Charlize Theron gives a spectacular performance as 'serial killer' Aileen Wuornos. Her facial expressions and bodily movements strongly resemble that of the actual person (based on what i read). Secondly, the 'human' aspect of Aileen was brought out in the film, and despite her brutal killings, one can symphatise with aspects of her life which brought her to this point of no return when she started killing her johns. Thirdly, although Monster is primarily about Aileen the killer, yet the viewer is treated to a love story between Aileen and her lesbian lover. This is in many aspects, the driving force of the film and which makes the film memorable. Some prison psychologists had diagnosed Aileen as having Borderline personality disorder, which explains her behaviour of wanting to keep Selby Wall, her girlfriend (in real life, the girl's name is Tyria Moore) at all costs, despite the fact that Selby was at times a selfish, immature person who ultimately betrayed Aileen. The final scene of the 'confession' phone call (which basically nailed it for Aileen) is heartbreaking. Aileen basically took the fall for everything and absolved Selby of any blame. Even though the audience may sense a taste of Hollywood drama here, one must remember that in real life, Aileen did take the blame for everything, and even went to the extent of sending Tyria money while she was on death row. Perhaps this is a glimpse into a rare aspect of her life (which traditional documentaries on her never cover), which shows us that at the end of the day, she is a human being like the rest of us and despite her heinous crimes, she too longed to be loved and feel love. The betrayal scene will stick in my mind for a long time to come. I welcome emails on this film as i am interested to know more about the film as well as Aileen and her lover.

Not perfect, but Theron's performance absolutely is
After thinking about it for half-a-week now, I'm still not exactly sure where I stand on Monster, the controversial film that has taken actress Charlize Theron to new levels of artistic stardom. Monster is primarily concerned with Aileen Wuornos (Theron), "America's first female serial killer," who shot and killed seven men during her time as a prostitute along Florida's Highway 75 (and was famously executed in 2002). At the same time, we also see Wuornos's blooming lesbian relationship with Selby Wall (Christina Ricci), a young, shy woman that brings joy (and some confusion) into Wuornos's life for a time. The movie starts promising - Theron and Ricci have some sort of chemistry that alternates between being awkward and passionate, highlighted by a spirited skate in a rink and a startlingly moving ride on a carousel. It's when the movie starts to deal with the 'issues' of Wuornos that it isn't so sure - a few notions and theories on what lived in the soul of Wuornos are tossed around, but they're never really put together in a fashion where the viewer feels like they've gained insight. At times, Wuornos is portrayed as a vengeful rapist-killer, but then later she's shown as a heartless killer. At one point, Wuornos's history of being abused is brought into light, but it quickly dies and never really makes anything of itself. I get the feeling that director/screenwriter Patty Jenkins really had a few few profound ideas about Wuornos, but I don't feel that they transferred to the screen so well. That's not to say that Theron's performance is damaged by the movie's flaws. It's simply...amazing to watch her unfold - she's so in-control of her portrayal, but it feels so raw and natural that (not to sound clichéd, but) you really forget it's her. Every moment of her embodiment of Wuornos is compelling, in some way, to watch, and it reaches its heartbreaking crescendo in the movie's finale - one of the best of the year. So I'll bet you can see why I'm conflicted about the film. Narratively, it stumbles, but Theron and Ricci are both flawless, and when it comes down to it, the movie has a lot more going for it than going against it. Monster is far from perfect, but it's still an essential viewing experience for the new year - if anything, for Theron, who deserves an Oscar for so much more than just her physical transformation. Grade: B+

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