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Monster's Ball Customer Reviews (76 - 78 of 85 Reviews)

Stark, riveting story of need and survival
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.

Halle Berry: the world's greatest actress of all time
I love Halle Berry, and she is, without a shred of doubt, the greatest actress that ever lived. This is a huge movie set in the rural south and it won her an Oscar! Don't listen to any of these retarded one-star reviews. They're just jealous of Halle and her amazing beauty and talent. See his movie and buy it now!

A Tight and Intelligent Script with Strong Performances
When I first heard the basic plot of MONSTER'S BALL, I was very intrigued, but skeptical. Watching the movie, I dreaded throughout that the filmmaker's were going to play things out in an obvious and predictable way. How refreshing it was to discover that they didn't.

Instead, I saw a tight, economical script with an amazing performance by Halle Berry. Undoubtedly, people will nit-pick about Berry's work in the film, but beat by beat, her Leticia was one of the most physically and emotionally challenging roles of the year. For the most part, she was up to the task and clearly demonstrated that she's a serious actress. One can debate whether or not she deserved an Oscar for her work, but she definitely gave an Oscar calibre performance.

Billy Bob Thornton was also deserving of an Academy Award nomination (although he didn't receive one) for his complex role as Hank. He played it honestly and fearlessly.

Also of note was Mos Def's performance in the film. It was finely shaded and understated. He's definitely an actor to watch.

However, despite these and other fine performanes in the film (Peter Boyle is another example), what really impressed me about this film was its script. All too often, writers seem compelled to explain every detail about a character, so that the audience "gets it." Fortunately, with MONSTER'S BALL, the writers assume that the audience has some level of intelligence.

In this film, one gets more with just a look on a character's face than would be accomplished in ten pages of expositional dialog. The screenplay deservedly was nominated for both an Oscar as well as an Independent Spirit Award.

Another thing that was refreshing about this film was that it didn't shy away from its controversial subject matter. It deals with issues of class, race, sexuality and relationships with an honesty that most filmmakers shy away from today. This of course will not sit well with the easily offended or those that refuse to believe that racism still exists in America. Given the casting of Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton in the key roles, some may not accept that the characters they played could get together romantically. Like it or not, relationships like this can and do exist and will continue to do so. If you get anything out of the film, it should be that relationships in general are spontaneous, unpredictable and often defy logic.

Overall, MONSTER'S BALL is a challenging film that is often difficult to watch (and not always for the obvious reasons). If you're looking for a film that forces one to confront what we fear in ourselves, this one is it.

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