Monster (2003)

Directed by Patty Jenkins. Starring Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Annie Corley, Bruce Dern, Lee Tergeson, Brett Rice, Scott Wilson, Pruitt Taylor Vince. [R]

Searing, based-in-truth story of desperate, unstable prostitute Aileen Wuornos (Theron) who became a serial murderer in the late-80s, targeting her johns and robbing them of their meager money and possessions. It’s hardly “a living”, but she’s deluded into thinking it’ll work out for her and her naïve, troubled lover (Ricci). In terms of the raw emotions and the credible makeup/physical alterations, it’s a transformative portrayal from Oscar-winner Theron, who completely disappears into the role and not only impresses with ferocious anger and wounded hurt in the eyes, the posture, the voice, the whole package, but also locates a husk of humanity that’s been beaten down by the stupidity of her own decisions and the cruelty of the pitiless world around her. Of course, some of that humanity comes from debuting director Jenkins’ screenplay, which controversially presents Wuornos in multi-faceted terms that suggest some part of her “monstrous” behavior originates from brutal victimization—the first time she kills comes in furious response to being assaulted and raped by a woman-hating sadist—but even as the docudrama-style bluntness gets swept away on occasion by button-pushing melodrama, it’s still a powerful and unsettling experience. Although she doesn’t mesmerize like her co-star, Ricci finds the guileless grace notes for an even trickier (and far less showy) role. See also: the 1992 documentary, Aileen Wuornos: Selling of a Serial Killer.

77/100