Every once and a while, a performance is so good that it elevates a mediocre script into a truly mesmerizing and quality movie. Charlize Theron is far from a no-name actress, with memorable performances in Woody Allen’s 2001 film The Curse of the Jade Scorpion and in TNT mainstay, The Devil’s Advocate. But nothing comes even remotely close to her performance in Monster, a tour de force that is sure to catapult her from the sidelines into the spotlight.
In 1989 and 1990, the FBI was hunting whom they believed (and still believe) to be the only female serial killer in US history. They were hunting a prostitute who was leaving bodies of her “Johns” all around southern Florida. This description of Aileen Wuornos makes her sound like a real monster, but film-maker Patty Jenkins tells the side of the story that very few knew. A story about a lonely, abused girl who was willing to do anything for approval and love of her lover Selby.
As a director and screenwriter, Patty Jenkins certainly has talent and room to grow as a film-maker; but its obvious that she has not reached her full potential yet. While creating a good script, there is nothing very complex about the plot. The story isn’t exactly fresh, and the destructive downfall that Aileen experiences has been seen before. Despite these few problems, Jenkins’ successfully uses the title of the movie to segue into the real conflict of Monster: is Aileen (a murderer, no doubt) a monster, or is she the victim of our cruel society?
This is all well and good, but all the titular segueing and comments on society would be pointless without a convincing portrayal of Aileen, who is in nearly every scene. As Aileen, Charlize Theron is simply magnificent. Her multi-layered performance of a conflicted and on-the-edge character is what makes this movie a success, plain and simple. Theron doesn’t just play Aileen, she becomes her. During several points in the movie, I looked hard to find Charlize somewhere in this character, and I honestly couldn’t. In the hands of a less competent, Monster could have become very similar to a Lifetime Movie of the Week (likely starring Delta Burke), but Theron’s embodiment of Aileen turns Monster into something haunting or ultimately a successful work of art. Having the difficult task of acting against Theron is Christini Ricci, who plays Theron’s lover Selby. I wasn’t wild about the development of this character, mostly because her actions turn Aileen into a bonofied sympathetic hero, and I don’t believe this is the direction the movie should have committed to. This is more an issue of the mediocre/good script though, and not of Ricci’s performance, which is good to adequate overall.
After seeing Monster, its pretty obvious that its a one-note movie. And what a note it is! Charlize Theron’s portrayal, er, embodiment of Aileen Wuornos is startlingly real and haunting, and is the centerpiece of a movie that could have been very generic without her. Finally, I have to give Jenkins the thumbs-up for incorporating “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey into her movie, as its one of the best songs ever and is woefully underused in films today.
Grade: B+
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