Monster (2003)

Monster 2003 DVD w/Charlize Theron

By sabu  Jun 28, 2006

Pros: Charlize Theron's characterization of Aileen Wuornos reveals the talent of the actor par excellance.

Cons: This film is so unbalance and un self-critiquing that "it fails miserably to look at the sexual roles the brutal, cheating, adulterous men are playing in the tragic story of Aileen Wuournos."

Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron) and Selby Wall (Christina Ricci) become pseudo-'lesbian' lovers in this true story about a prostitute (Wuornos) who hates and kills six either brutal, married, cheating, or adulterous men between 1989 and 1990.... This show angered me because to call the relationship between Wuornos and Wall lesbian is a false representation of lesbian relationships, in general. The real and show relationship between the two women doesn't resemble the commits made and responsibilities taken in the vast majority of same-gender, long-term woman relationships. That is why I didn't count this portrayal as excellent, even though Charlize Theron delivers a riveting performance of the late 20th century wife beaten, cheated by numerous adulterous 'men', serial killer. Though Charlize is a raving beauty out of character, in the Wuournos character she was transformed into an atrocious woman who just couldn't cut it in real life society. Though she did try. Wuournos is repeatedly humiliated as she tries to get honest job after job. She lacks skills and training at every turn and seems dyslexic. Plus, as a violently abused prostitute, she undoubtedly suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. So this rejection and humiliation only heightens her senses of self-worthlessness and compulsive violence. After her first John (after being with Selby) beats and rapes her, she kills him in self-defense. It comes to her as a shock that she does it. Once she got the sweet taste of revenge she couldn't stop robbing and murdering the male brutes, sluts, and adulterers who hired her for quick and secret sex as they expected it. Though no one deserves to be murdered, Wuournos was by the state. Almost all the men she murdered were made out to be victims and saints, who were 'just being typical men by hiring a prostitute . . .' . I also didn't give this story line an excellent rating because it fails miserably to look at the sexual roles the brutal, cheating, adulterous men are playing in the tragic story of Aileen Wuournos. Rated R and a half, this one's not even for pre-teens or young teens. It's an adult film that one should go into with a critiquing mind of the men's roles and mischaracterizations as "victims." m_d.md.m_d Read more Less