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Monster's Ball Customer Reviews (34 - 36 of 85 Reviews)

Sometimes ambiguity can be beautiful
Berry plays the wife of a death row inmate (P. Diddy or whatever his name is now) and Billy Bob the warden responsible for carrying out his execution. Both deliver beautifully subtle performances of seemingly simple characters but with complex emotional histories. Heath Ledger and Peter Boyle deliver nice supporting roles as the warden's son and father, respectively. Peter Boyle's southern accent wasn't entirely convincing though (I think he's from Philly). Ledger, from Perth, Australia, was actually more believeable to me as a southerner. The film is unsentimental and morally ambiguous, leaving much open for the viewer's interpretation. Nicely photographed by Roberto Schaefer and mesmerizing but not overpowering score. Contains rather graphic sex scene for an R-rated movie. Apparently, they had to cut some parts out to get the rating. If you think Halle Berry is hot, you won't be disappointed. Ambiguous ending is strangely satisfying.

Love Among The Ruins
Marc Forster's "Monster's Ball" contains a host of horrific deeds and actions in its' first 40 minutes...so many in fact, I almost walked out of the theater: child abuse, attempted patricide, suicide, public execution, racial hatred to name several. I felt like yelling at the screen: ENOUGH ALREADY! But a morbid fascination with where this movie was going made me stay in my seat, mouth open...and I can honestly say that ultimately "Monster's Ball" proved to be worth my time and effort.
But,the big question here is: why show so much negativity? Does so much downbeat material make for an uplifting, or more importantly interesting movie experience? Does: "I'm so down...it looks like up to me" apply here? Why have your main character,Hank Grotowski (Billy Bob Thornton) exhibit such self-loathing and hatred and thereby making him unpalatable as a hero? And ultimately does Hank's metamorphosis into a loving person make sense?
I don't have all the answers but I certainly do have impressions and can attest to the cumulative power of the images presented. Hanks's conversion from bigot to loving, caring human being and Leticia's (Halle Berry)lover doesn't make logical sense but we are rooting for "them" to work and so when it does we believe it. Hank and Leticia are two lost souls, at the end of their psychic ropes, whose only hope for survival is each other. And so they cling and they claw and they gravitate towards each other as only the desperate are wont to do. As Leticia says to Hank in as heartbreaking a way as possible, and after years of being tread upon and beaten down: "I need you to take care of me."
Much has been said of Halle Berry's performance and it is a wonder: frustrated, down-and-out, sexually repressed, needy, tired and worn out but always exhibiting the smallest kernel of hope. Billy Bob Thornton wakes up from his zombie-like performance in "The Man Who Wasn't There" and makes Hank a living breathing character...fantastically flawed yet seemingly capable of turning his life around.
"Monster's Ball" will be a hard watch for many people and it's flaws might be enough to turn people off but ultimately it is a profoundly even perversely powerful film...not for everyone but for the few who can appreciate the redemptive power of LOVE.

Surprisingly wonderful film but not necessarily comfortable
I watched this movie rather reluctantly. I expected it to be totally depressing and suprisingly it was not. After seeing it, I couldn't get it out of my mind and keep mulling over so many of the subtle details.

For me, the beauty of this film was how stark and yet how subtle it seemed to be. All the characters, even the minor ones, seemed so layered without being heavy handed. The two main characters, Hank and Letitia, played by Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry, are not necessarily likeable characters. They are living lives of quiet desperation and somehow their lives come together through a series of circumstances. Somehow Hank finds some joy and hope that he probably never remotely imagined existed and Letitia finds unexpected shelter from the relentless blows life has showered on her. Together they are nicer people and more whole than apart.

I found personal beauty in so many tiny elements and how subtly Hank's racist attitude starts to change. When Hank starts approaching the black neighbor whose kids he drove off his property with a shotgun, the neighbor doesn't rebuff him as he obviously could have which would have reinforced Hank's racist beliefs.

Halle Berry is obviously a gorgeous woman but I didn't feel her beauty detracted from this role. It seemed like she was a woman who should have had a much better life (i.e., her physical beauty opening doors and opportunities) but like many people, bad choices and unfortunate circumstances over the years have taken their toll.

I highly recommend this film but warn that it is not necessarily a comfortable movie to watch. At the end, I chose not to watch the deleted scenes (on the DVD) because I didn't want to change the impressions I had after my initial watching.

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