Monster
Buy The Movie Poster!
Director: Patty Jenkins
Starring: Bruce Dern, Christina Ricci, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Charlize Theron
Synopsis: Lesbians + Serials Killers + Charlize Theron + Christina Ricci = Box Office Gold!
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Monster is based on the true story of Aileen Wournous, the lesbian/prostitute serial killer who murdered seven men on the Florida highways during 1989-90.
This could be a little disturbing. Why disturbing? Well, maybe not disturbing but it will definitely be a step in a new direction for Ricci as she disrobes for her lesbian love scenes with Theron. Kinda sounds like a 70's exploitation flick huh? Lesbian Serial Killer Love Behind Bars! |
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Prices listed are subject to change.
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Title
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Amazon | Amazon.CA | DVD Empire |
| Monster (2003) | | | | | On a Killing Day/the Bizarre Story of Convicted Murderer Aileen Lee Wournos - Novel | | NA | NA |
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With basic cuts, a few dissolves, two stunning lead female performances director Patty Jenkins has gone and made a film that shows keeping it simple and strongly scripted has a lot to do with whether or not a film can stand on its own.
Admittedly Monster is the kind of film performance the Academy Award voters drool over. A good looking actress went and added weight? False teeth and nailed the white trash drawl of a serial killer. Hell, hand her the Oscar right now! The thing is, after seeing the film, that is hard not to disagree with. There was really nothing in Charlize Theron’s filmography that indicated she was going to bring in a performance like this one. For the most part it was supporting roles opposite big actors like The Devil’s Advocate, The Legend of Bagger Vance or being in the ultimate cat fight with Teri Hatcher in Two Days in the Valley. But this? This is something else.
Still…I have a few reservations with the film. First off, not for the kids, but if you can’t differentiate between Monster and Monster’s Inc., well you have a few more issues already going in your life, don’t you? While the film does not exactly take a sympathetic tone with serial killer Aileen Wuaronos it does readily accept that everything from her point of view was explainable with childhood trauma and prostitution. Yes, these are horrible, and yes the people who did these things to Wuarono’s are Monsters in their own right, but I’m a cheerful cynic through and through and there is now way I am gonna shed a tear for the likes of Aileen. Kill one man in self-defense, I understand, kill six more because it was easy to relive that rage and avoid the guilt, well, good luck to you in Death Row.
Still, that’s all politics and this is still a movie review column last time I checked. So, watch Monster for the excellent performances (including the elfishly nuanced one by Christina Ricci) and the simple, honest camera work. Just don’t come crying to me saying you felt sorry for the serial killer…
4 stars out of 5.
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Copyright© Written By: Rob Paul
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