Monster   
 

Aileen: Charlize Theron

Selby: Christina Ricci

Thomas: Bruce Dern

Donna: Annie Corley

 

 

Directed by Patty Jenkins

Written by Patty Jenkins
Monster is the true story of serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who murdered seven men she encountered on the highways of Florida as a prostitute.  It has a couple of good performances, but regrettably moves in the wrong direction and falls short in the end.

Charlize Theron does a wonderful job transforming into Aileen Wuornos.  She gives her a manic demeanor throughout the movie.  She can never sit still and appears constantly agitated.  Her only moments of calmness, however, come just before and after she kills.  She seems to be most comfortable in this position, as they are the only moments in her life when she is in control.  Theron is able to capture the feelings and emotions of this conflicted woman and gives a great performance.

Christina Ricci also does a good job as the innocent, naive Selby.  She only stays with Aileen because she is the first person to ever show her any real attention and affection, and we're not sure if she is aware of her lover's acts, or if she just chooses to ignore them.

The two actresses are hamstrung only by the clumsy, over-the-top dialogue from writer/director Patty Jenkins.  There are moments when they are forced to step out of character and assume the role of philosophers to explain their actions.  Unfortunately, these moments bring the movie to a screeching halt.

The biggest flaw of this movie lies in the way it tries to manufacture compassion for Wuornos.  One scene in particular shows her take pity on a potential victim and deciding to spare him her wrath.  It's played up as if this is an achievement worthy of applause.  

It's one thing to show us both sides of a story or to provide possible explanations for behavior that is normally inexplicable.  However, what Monster likes to do is set up Wuornos' previous experiences as excuses and show that deep inside this serial killer lies a heart of gold.  I wasn't buying it.  Here was a woman who got a taste for blood and a thrill from getting away with it.  It's a film that is overly sympathetic to a person and situation that doesn't deserve it.