MONSTER
PLOT-The true story of Aileen Wuronos, a prostitute responsible for a string of murders in the late 1970's.
VIOLENCE-A severe rape and beating is shown, and some bloody shootings also occur.
SEX/NUDITY-One of the lead female actors briefly appears nude and bloody in front of a mirror, and later she has a very tame sex scene with another woman.
WHY I WATCHED IT-I went through a phase several years ago where I watched nothing but documentaries, and I remember very well one called THE AILEEN WURONOS STORY. It was intriguing yet disturbing at the same time. The image of Wuronos on the cover always sticks in my mind: a woman with her hands chained together, eyes closed as if she were praying. It is the picture of desperation. I was very eager to see a dramatized film version of her life.
THE DOPE-I feel weird reviewing this movie on my site, because it's actually nominated for an Oscar this year! However, it's an indie film about a lesbian hooker who kills people, so that sounds just like Gonzoriffic material to me. Right? Right.
Back when this movie was announced, the big buzz was that Christina Ricci (who plays Wuronos's love interest) was gonna have some big lesbian nude scene (nothing is shown). However, the buzz eventually shifted to the astounding performance by Charlize Theron as the title character. She's buried under makeup and false teeth, unrecognizeable, but she totally becomes another person. It is an amazing transformation but doesn't draw attention away from the power of the film itself, or of the character. This is an acting lesson, kids. I can't even begin to tell you how good Theron is in this. Ricci's role is pretty much the same kind she always plays, and she's got it down to a science. Theron rocks the house big time here.
The movie is hard-hitting and rightfully so. At first you feel sorry for Wuronos because she had a shitty life and all she knew was how to be a prostitute. You have to be at a pretty low point in your life to care so little about your own well-being. But desperation does funny things to people. Eventually it turns her into a murderer. First in justified self-defense, but later in cold blood as Wuronos becomes more and more dillusional about humanity and the way of the world. Believe me, the term "monster" will make a lot of sense after you see what she does.
But therein lies the mystery of the case, the intrigue. Did she really do these horrible things? Was she really a monster? Only Wuronos knows for sure, and she was executed 2 years ago.
MONSTER is about how people can convince themselves that life is just fucked, get overwhelmed by circumstance, and end up doing horrible things to themselves and others around them. It's about how powerful perception is sometimes, how some people's minds see one path and one path only to survival. It's intense, sad, thought-provoking, and very well done. And it also plays the same Journey song twice!
MEMORABLE SCENES-"Take this job and shove it."
NOTES-This independent release is currently playing in select cities around the country. Check out the dates on the Official Site and do not miss it if it comes to a theater near your town.
(February 2004)