FBMR - Monster

Charlize Theron’s portrayal of true-life prostitute and serial-killer, Aileen Carol Wuornos, screams Oscar. And she indeed won her statuette for this performance. The Academy either likes, or is often fooled by, beautiful actresses who take an extra step to uglify themselves. And Theron is virtually unrecognizable as the rather homely Wuornos. Her acting is also very good, and I found it at least worthy of an Oscar nomination.

Wuornos is a highway prostitute who tries to go clean after contemplating suicide, and after meeting a young lesbian named Selby, played by Christina Ricci. But finding that can’t get a job in the working world without a high school diploma, work experience, or pleasant people skills, she returns to hooking where she is brutally bound and raped by a “John”. She manages to finally escape and kill her captor. Now, the more she learns about the skeletons in her subsequent Johns’ closets, she decides to play vigilante and rid the earth of their scum.

This is not a fun movie to watch, it’s disturbing, it’s sad, it’s ugly. But it definitely makes you think. You can often sympathize with her, and even applaud her for some of the low-lives she does bump off. However, humans often make mistakes, sometimes big mistakes.


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MONSTER (2003) *** Charlize Theron’s portrayal of true-life prostitute and serial-killer, Aileen Carol Wuornos, screams Oscar. And she indeed won her statuette for this performance. The Academy either likes, or is often fooled by, beautiful actresses who take an extra step to uglify themselves. And Theron is virtually unrecognizable as the rather homely Wuornos. Her acting is also very good, and I found it at least worthy of an Oscar nomination. Wuornos is a highway prostitute who tries to go clean after contemplating suicide, and after meeting a young lesbian named Selby, played by Christina Ricci. But finding that can’t get a job in the working world without a high school diploma, work experience, or pleasant people skills, she returns to hooking where she is brutally bound and raped by a “John”. She manages to finally escape and kill her captor. Now, the more she learns about the skeletons in her subsequent Johns’ closets, she decides to play vigilante and rid the earth of their scum. This is not a fun movie to watch, it’s disturbing, it’s sad, it’s ugly. But it definitely makes you think. You can often sympathize with her, and even applaud her for some of the low-lives she does bump off. However, humans often make mistakes, sometimes big mistakes.