Movie Review - Monster
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(1 votes, average: 4 out of 4)
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2003 / 111 Minutes / R
Reviewed by Jason Jones
It is a rare thing for me to say that a film left me feeling assaulted. Perhaps, I should have qualified that statement by saying “good” film. I say this, because I have felt assaulted by horrifically bad movies like “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” and “Goldmember” to name a couple past offenders. Although those would be defined more as muggings than assaults I suppose, as my wallet did feel a bit lighter after sitting through those pieces of crap.
The point of my initial statement is that I have rarely seen films that quite literally leave you changed after having seen them. The last of these films would have been “Requiem For a Dream” and to a lesser extent “Mystic River”. These films leave you planted in your seat as the credits roll and, as you emerge from the theater, you realize that you will never look at the world in the same way again.
“Monster”, make no mistake about it, is one of these films. It cuts no corners. It pulls no punches. It does not sugarcoat its subject matter. It is, at its essence, a raw nerve, unflinching in its vulnerable state of display for us to judge as we see fit. This is what makes this film unnerving. It is also what makes this film an ordeal to make it through.
Based on a true story, “Monster” is about the downward spiral of Aileen Wuornos, one of the first known female serial killers. After a miserable childhood of abuse and neglect she set out on her own and fell into a life of prostitution on the highways of Florida. The film focuses on a nine month period in her life when she took part in a lesbian relationship with a woman named Selby. During this time, after a night when one of her “clients” attempted to kill her, she began killing anyone she came across who she perceived as having intent to rape her. In essence she turned the tables on the idea of serial killers preying on prostitutes by instead having the prostitute prey on the would-be rapists/killers.
The fact that the film is based on real-life events, does give it a little extra heft. The burden of making these events come to life is placed squarely on the shoulders of the cast. In particular, Charlize Theron delivers the performance of her life as the tortured soul Aileen Wuornos. Due to some fantastic makeup effects she comes across as unrecognizable as the woman who was most recently seen in the remake of “The Italian Job”. Charlize takes herself to places it is quite likely she did not know she had inside of her to bring out the emotion that presents in this role. She carries a lifetime of pain and lost innocence in every glance of her dark eyes. There is a lot to say about her performance, but to say anymore would be to rob anyone who hasn’t yet seen the film the chance of being exposed to it for the first time, so I will say no more.
There have been many movies about serial killers in the past. Most don’t really have much to say, as they usually focus on the more morbid facets of the serial killer way of life. Rarely, if ever do they focus on the person who became the serial killer. What made them that way? Where do they come from? What finally pushed them over the edge? This is just one area where “Monster” sets itself apart. It doesn’t apologize for its protagonist’s actions, nor does it condemn them. It merely tells her story and shows us how exactly it is that a young girl from Michigan could one day grow into a cold-blooded monster on the highways of Florida. This was refreshing to see and, I must say, much more interesting than watching the acts themselves.
There are many themes at play in the film. Bruce Dern plays a Vietnam vet, who has befriended Aileen. He speaks of the parallels between her life and his. How neither were given much of a chance and as a result they were forced to do whatever it took to live. Christina Ricci, in an underappreciated performance, as Aileen’s lover Selby plays out the surprising love story portion of the film. This element really surprised me as, in the end, I felt it was the prevailing theme of the film. Aileen’s love for Selby is to a certain extent what drives her to do the horrific things she does. She wants to give Selby everything that she wants in life, no matter the cost.
For those who like a certain amount of style in their movies (myself included) you won’t find it here. The story is told in a straightforward manner that enhances the subject matter. To have been stylish like “Requiem For a Dream” for example would have been detrimental to the film in a number of ways. Instead director Patty Jenkins was wise enough to allow her talented cast to carry the film. The saying goes that sometimes less is more. In the case of “Monster” the saying holds true.
As I said earlier “Monster” is not an easy film to sit through. There is one scene in fact that may be too much for some viewers to take. If you see the film (which I hope you will) you will know of which scene I speak. Some might say that it is too much, but I feel it is the most necessary element of the entire film. It is a scene that shows us what could make a person do the things Aileen did. It shows us that, given Aileen’s circumstances, any of us could be prone to taking to the life she chose from that moment on To hear it spoken would not have been enough. It had to be shown, so that those of us living our “normal” lives could understand just how ugly the world can be to those who have had the poorest of poor hands dealt to them.
On some level it is frightening to know such a world exists, but when I think about it, it seems to me that it would be even more frightening not knowing of the existence of that world at all.
