Yar, you be here: Monster's Ball > Customer Reviews

Monster's Ball Customer Reviews (43 - 45 of 85 Reviews)

Halle Berry At Her Finest
Halle Berry, Billy Bob Thorton, Sean "Puffy" Combs, and Heath Ledger star in this powerful drama "Monster's Ball". Its plot is brilliant! Every chain of events has its unique flavor. Such deep topics give further respect to the filmmakers because few have dared this. It combines tragedy, racism, love, loneliness, sadness, and struggle. Its intensity keeps everyone listening and watching closely to every detail. The acting is wonderful. Halle Berry deservingly won her Oscar for 2001's Best Actress for her role as Leticia, a struggling waitress whose husband was died in the electric chair and whose son was unexpectedly killed in a hit and run. Her breaking down scenes her heartpounding. Billy Bob Thorton's role as Hank, a death row security guard who changes his racist views through Leticia, is magnificant. The chemistry between the two actors is present. Sean "Puffy" Combs and Heath Ledger's small roles are equally as heartfelt as Berry's. "Monster's Ball" is a wonderful movie for those looking for a deep, heartfelt drama. This will not disappoint its viewers.

A 'Ball' of a time!
- The Setting -

In a quiet small town somewhere in Georgia: Scene 1: Introductions of the leading male and the leading female, both extremely different in every way save for a past connection that links their lives. Scene 2: an unlikely love affair develops between the two after a chance meeting.

- The Dancers -:

He is Billy Bob Thornton, as corrections officer Hank Grotowski. He lives with his racially intolerant father Buck (Peter Boyle), and his weak-in-character son Sonny (Heath Ledger), both of whom are also corrections officers - the family profession. Despite their close proximity with him, he is far apart from them in spirit. He despises his father for his backward racist mindsets and his son for not having the spine to do the family job, but he gets ugly only with the latter.

She is Halle Berry, as Leticia Musgrove, a recent widow after her convict husband (Sean "Puffy" Combs) is executed. In his departure, she is left to care for her 11-year-old son Tyrell (Coronji Calhoun) while barely trying to make ends meet. Her life takes a turn for the worse in a series of hardships and tragedy, leaving her all alone. Incidentally, Hank is on duty for her husband's execution, to her unawareness.

- The Dance -

Very well done (considering how much I detest romance films). Both are brought together by personal tragedies, but drawn together for different reasons. Hank wants to escape his dysfunctional family trappings and start afresh, Leticia needs companionship to escape loneliness. Their characters are so well-captured in their profiles and their sufferings, while not forgetting the hurtles of racial bigotry that both must overcome, plus their responses towards the revelation of their dark connection to each other. Forster delves extensively into the characters' afflictions to illustrate that true love can blossom not only in spite of them but also because of them. The love scenes are extremely erotic.

- The Dancing -

Thorton defines dysfunction in the middle of the Grotowski family. As the embittered Hank, he shows detached piety towards Buck and harsh overbearance towards Sonny. Boyle lends support as the weak (in body) but strong (in spirit) Buck, with Ledger as the strong (in body) but weak (in spirit) Sonny. Both are convincing in their roles to reinforce Hank's dysfunction background. In an Oscar-caliber performance, Berry is excellent as the emotionally fragile widow. She vividly shows Leticia's need for security following her painful tribulations, her grief with after every one of them, and her efforts to come to terms upon knowing the past between Hank and her husband. As for Mr. Combs' acting turn, I could have sworn he was trying to rap his lines. Maybe it's just me. But he delivers a brief but good moment of anguish for his characters coming to grips with his impending fate.

- The Verdict -

A terrific love story, even without a tragic ending. Though the interracial spin is nothing new, it is given a melancholy perspective under Forster's direction, in grim realism without the typical happily-ever-after ending. And it has great characterizations and excellent performances by the cast. The open-ending finale leaves the unanswered question as to the fate of the lovers' relationship. Then again, such is true in relationships of today.

Now this is acting!
Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Barry have both given the performances of their careers here. I can see why Halle won that Oscar, which is the only reason I really wanted to see this dark, depressing, stark movie. This is not for the faint of heart, and if you are just looking for light entertainment, look elsewhere. We are talking deep here.
"Monster's Ball" is a look into two people lives, Hank & Leticia, and how their characters connect through the whole movie -- Her husband is executed on death row, and Hank is one of the corrections officers that assist in the execution. Sean "Puffy" Combs plays the husband, and he is quite impressive. The film also shows how they end up after so much tragedy is bestowed upon both of them. They both lose their sons, but in some sense, I didn't see them really grieving for their loss which is one part of their character that truly bonds them. They are both extremely complex, angry characters, and you want to have sympathy for them, but it isn't easy. As the film moves on, you start to feel for these characters. We get to know them on a personal level.
That aside, the performances by these two well crafted actors is just awe inspiring. It is a film worth watching just for the acting.
This is an amazingly well crafted piece of work, the acting, cinematography, excellent screenplay, and realism of it is all just brilliant. Even if it is very depressing it is also extremely engrossing, I made myself stay up way past my bedtime to watch the entire movie. It was one of the most moving pieces of cinema I've ever witnessed.
For dvd buyers, this is worth buying just to see Thornton's character "Karl" from "Sling Blade" play "Hank".
There are about four deleted scenes, and a trailer, and a little piece on how the movie was scored. That was pretty interesting.
One of the best of 2001

Previous Page

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

Next Page