Monster

Producing films around the life of a killer isn’t the easiest of things
to do. Often the truth is obscured by those who tell it. The prosecutor
and the victim’s families are convinced that the murderer is hell
spawn, whilst the murderer will often view themselves as unwilling
victims of an unfortunate situation. How do you tell the story of a
murderer without glorifying their actions or loss sight of the reality
of the events? This was a challenge well conquered by debut director Patty Jenkins in Monster,
the story of Aileen Carol Wuornos. Aileen was serial murderer who, as a
prostitute, killed 7 of her Johns over the span of a year along the
Florida highways. Charlize Theron
masterfully transformed into the Aileen, giving a shocking performance
as the lost and hateful Aileen. Rare are the occasions when an actor so
absolutely transforms themselves that you completely forget that they
are an actor. Charlize displays this conviction, elevating herself to
become a commanding actor with talent that few others in Hollywood
possess. Her role in Monster will be the basis of comparison for other
young actors for years to come. Not to be forgotten, is Aileen’s lover,
convincingly carried by Christina Ricci.
Both characters, although shallow on the surface, let their
undercurrents of turmoil fester through these brilliant acting
portrayals. Although not exactly on par with the truth behind the
murders, the story stays well enough within the constraints of the
real-life story as to be considered a very good depiction of the truth.
Certain situations needed to be relaxed to make Aileen a little softer;
an audience will never bond with a character that only hates the
humanity around her. At the same time, director Jenkins never looses
site of the brutality of Aileen’s life, nor of her murders. Although
I’m sure some will say that this movie didn’t depict her in a harsh
enough light, there is only so far a dramatic film can go before it
becomes a condemnation rather than a dramatic event. Thankfully,
Jenkins doesn’t cross that line, and the movie is enlightening as the
same time as thought provoking. It is rare in today’s movie market to
have so few people shine so incredibly as to make a mediocre movie
marvelous, but this is the case in Monster. If it were not for the
talents of Theron, director Jenkins, and Ricci, this would be just
another made for TV movie. What they produced is a film worthy of
acclaim. Congratulations! For information on the differences between
Monster and the true accounts of the “Damsel of Death”, click here for my editorial.