Sometimes the Monster in all of us comes out

Rating: Null/10 (7 February 2004)

Monster is the true story of Aileen Wuornos, a young woman who is on a self-destructive path. Along the way she meets Selby, a naive woman who is trapped in a world where being who you truly are is not permissible. Set in the 80's Monster follows the relationship that the two women have together and their escape from the `real' world. While trying to better their own lives, Aileen begins to take the lives of some unsuspecting men. Two some the story may be long and dull, but beneath the story there is a woman who is lost in her own world. She lived a tormented life where the only rule was to shut up and take what's being given to you. Charlize Theron gives the performance of a lifetime. She plays Aileen in a way where you can actually feel bad for her. In reality Aileen was a horrible woman who killed because she felt that life owed her something, on the surface Charlize creates a character both horrible and charming. She only wants to live a life far different then she has ever been accustomed too, she wants Selby to be happy, but most important she wants to find happiness. I believe that Charlize does something that not too many actresses have done before; she has taken herself completely out of her body and transformed herself in Aileen. There is a lot of tale out the makeup and how she had to gain weight, well anyone can make themselves look ugly, but what Theron does is something far more challenging then making herself look unattractive, she really embodies Aileen. She gives the BEST performance of the year! She is outstanding and extremely captivating, I found it hard to take my eyes off of her. The only problem with a performance this good is how will she top it? The answer is she won't, she'll only grow as an actress. I don't think she will ever be able to play someone like this again, and I don't think that's a bad thing. Theron is brilliant here; I think this is a once in a lifetime performance. I hope that after this movie fades she is still considered a wonderful actress. As for the other performances, oh yes there where other people in this movie. First off there is the always-amazing Christina Ricci as Selby, here Ricci plays the naive woman who is out to find happiness in herself. It's a shame that Theron over shadows her, but for Ricci this character seems like a broken record. I feel that Ricci has done this before, and while I feel it's always ok to play a similar character, I think it's one thing when you play these types of people over and over again. Monster is a very important story; it is a film about the relationship between two people and the road they take in life.It's a story for anyone who has tried to live a better life, for anyone who feels that life never goes their way. I give Monster 3.8 stars out of 4 and an A-.