Extremely Well Done But Extremely Unsavory

Rating: 8/10 (1 April 2005)

In 1992 Aileen Wuornos (1956-2002) stood trial for the murder of Richard Mallory in Florida. Clearly dangerous and disturbed, Wuornos was an extremely belligerent, aggressive personality, and her frequent outbursts and several bizarre circumstances turned the trial into a media circus. Convicted of Mallory's death, Wuornos also confessed to the murders of six others and remains a suspect in at least two unsolved homicides. She was executed in 2002.
But for all the drama of the 1992 trial, MONSTER sidesteps this aspect of the Wuornos story. It instead focuses on Wuornos herself and her relationship with lover Selby (in real life Tyria J. Moore, the name change likely due to legal issues.) And while it plays fast and loose with the facts--particularly re the Selby character--it offers a relentlessly fearsome portrait of an incredibly damaged woman whose rage twists into a vicious killing spree.
Charlize Theron, previously better known for good looks than acting skill, gives an inspired performance as Wuornos, seeming to inhabit the character; it is truly frightening to watch her. Although the script's Selby is hardly in the same league with real-life Tyria J. Moore, Ricci too is quite fine--a mixture of innocence and soullessness that is often quite as disturbing as Theron's more flamboyant performance. The supporting cast is also very good, with Bruce Dern notable as a biker friend and Scott Wilson particularly memorable as Wuornos' final victim.
When I saw the film in theatrical release I found quite a few audience members walked out on the film in disgust. And for all the power of the performances and the great artistry of the film, this is likely to be a real issue for any one who sees MONSTER. The film does an extraordinary job of making us see Wuornos and Selby as human beings--and as pitiful human beings whose lives were largely warped and twisted by circumstance rather than personal choice. Even so, both characters are dangerous, mean, manipulative, and vicious in different ways, and our pity for them will not stretch far enough to cover that.
In the final analysis, I do recommend the film. But before you rush to see it simply because it picked up a well-deserved Academy Award for Theron, you might do well to ask yourself: do I really want to know these people? And if you are unsure, you'd probably do better to give it a miss--for you might well be one of the people walking out midway through.
Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer