Year of Release: 2003
Director: Patty Jenkins
Starring: Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Lee Tergesen, Annie Corley, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Marco St. John, Marc Macaulay, Scott Wilson, Tim Ware, Brett Rice
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review:
After directing a few shorts, director Patty Jenkins made her auspicious directorial debut with "Monster". The film is inspired and follows the story of Aileen Wuornos, a convicted serial criminal, accused and considered guilty for the death of seven men, who was later imprisoned and executed in 2002. The film introduces us to Aileen as a young girl, already being abused, quickly transitioning to her life as a young woman, and her desperate attempts at being loved, which also capture her path into prostitution (in very broad strokes). Aileen's life suffers a spark of change when she accidentally meets the young Selby. The two initially form an unlikely friendship, that rapidly becomes a romantic entanglement. While Aileen has a client, to make ends meet, she suddenly has to deal with a potential fatal situation, which prompts her to take action into her own hands, leading her on a dangerous and dramatic path. Looking to escape the place of crime, she and Selby decide to move to Southern Florida, where the troubles once again loom and appear.
Patty Jenkins started her career very strongly with this portrayal of one of the very few female serial killers in the US. The film captures primarily the relationship that is established between Aileen and Selby, both women trying to connect and bond, whose lives had been met with ostracism, loneliness and in the case of Aileen, abuse. The film is particularly impactful due to the herculean presence of Charlize Theron, who is truly unrecognizable in the film, and who imbues the character with a sadness, longing, despair and vitality unlike anything that she had done thus far. Her grittiness and verisimilitude in playing Aileen, marries perfectly with Patty Jenkins' approach to shooting the film realistically, almost documentary style, capturing the barely there existence of marginalized individuals. It's such a towering performance that at times it almost swallows the entire existence of the film and the thread that is trying to weave, but the character is always humane, heartfelt, even if her actions are monstrous and violent. The supporting cast is peripheral, but uniformly good, from Christina Ricci to the always underrated Bruce Dern. It's a strong film from a director who has had little chance to expand her palette, but who can hopefully tackle more challenging material soon (beyond comic book characters, which she has explored with "Wonder Woman").
Patty Jenkins started her career very strongly with this portrayal of one of the very few female serial killers in the US. The film captures primarily the relationship that is established between Aileen and Selby, both women trying to connect and bond, whose lives had been met with ostracism, loneliness and in the case of Aileen, abuse. The film is particularly impactful due to the herculean presence of Charlize Theron, who is truly unrecognizable in the film, and who imbues the character with a sadness, longing, despair and vitality unlike anything that she had done thus far. Her grittiness and verisimilitude in playing Aileen, marries perfectly with Patty Jenkins' approach to shooting the film realistically, almost documentary style, capturing the barely there existence of marginalized individuals. It's such a towering performance that at times it almost swallows the entire existence of the film and the thread that is trying to weave, but the character is always humane, heartfelt, even if her actions are monstrous and violent. The supporting cast is peripheral, but uniformly good, from Christina Ricci to the always underrated Bruce Dern. It's a strong film from a director who has had little chance to expand her palette, but who can hopefully tackle more challenging material soon (beyond comic book characters, which she has explored with "Wonder Woman").
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