The real Monster of this movie? The soundtrack! Hooooooooh!

Rating: Null/10 (5 March 2004)

Okay, seriously, i needed a bit of comedy before reviewing this dark, serious movie about murder and human nature.
"Monster", as most of you know, is the story of serial killer Aileen Wuornos, physically ugly; abused as a child, living as a prostitute, falling in love with another woman, and killing men. An upbeat film this is not.
As much has been said about Theron's performance as Aileen, I won't comment too much. I will, however, make the joke that she got an oscar just for looking ugly! Seriously though, she doesn't just look like Lee, but she lives and breathes as Lee. Just watching the littlest facial quirk, the way she holds and moves her body, all I could think of wasn't who was playing her or how amazing the make up was, but just about the character. That's why she's so good in this. The rest of the cast is okay, with Christina Ricci playing against type as a needy lesbian who stands by and allows Lee to kill, becoming something of a monster herself.
Another thing to comment on, is that this isn't called "Monster" because Godzilla's in it. My friends and I commented that there were maybe 2 nice people in the entire film. This movie is dark and depressing. Now, we've got a macabre sense of humor, but after seeing this, it took a while for some jokes to seem funny again.
Of course, this leads into just how realistic is the movie to life and the events surrounding it? Some people have claimed that the film misinterprets some of the victims, and that it over-sympathizes with Lee. And then there's what I said about there being maybe 2 redeemable human beings in the whole thing, with self-righteous religious stereotypes in it as well.
I believe the movie is that way for a purpose. I can't defend the misinterpreting of some of the victims, but other things I can. Notice how the film is narrated from Lee's point of view. And since it's from her messed up, murderous point of view, wouldn't most of humanity seem irredeemable? And wouldn't she play us, the audience, her jury, for sympathy?
This movie is so successful because when I left the theater, I was made because I figured I had just seen another psycho-liberal movie bashing religious people and the death sentence, among other things. But as I left and talked with others, I realized that that's how I'm SUPPOSED to feel: the movie is told from Lee's point of view, of her trying to justify her horrible actions by making people see her view of how bad the world is and how much a victim she is. The filmmakers want me to get mad at her, to not agree with her. If they didn't, if the filmmakers really wanted people to feel sorry for Lee, they wouldn't have called it "Monster". Looking back on it, i see how the directing, the writing, and the few really innocent people in the film were put there to make me feel a certain way. Excellently done! They were so successful I didn't notice until long after the movie was over.
That said, aside from being depressing enough to bring down a guy high on ecstasy, the movie's main flaw is the music. The orchestral music is okay, but some of the songs, like the one they play when Lee and Selby are cuddling, made me want to kill someone! And the guitar sound that starts to play before their tastefully shot sex scene sounded like 70's porn music, i kid you not. But man, if that was meant to be funny, i sure needed it, because nothing else in this movie is a laughing matter.
Alltogether, sorry Lee, but I only empathize with you. I would probably found you guilty as well. If the way you were treated by the first guy was accurate in the film, and you had turned yourself in, I'd have found you not-guilty, it being self defense. But you couldn't stop, or wouldn't, and tried to hide it. Besides, lots of people who do get raped and abused as kids don't go out and kill.
"Monster" is an incredibly, subtly effective film, but definitely not for the faint of heart. It's more "Henry" than "Hannibal". But, for those who can take it, or enjoy studying the darker aspects of humanity in a serious light, gather your courage and see "Monster".