If you have someone to love, give him or her an extra hug tonight

Rating: 8/10 (28 January 2004)

What would you do if you took an inventory of everything you had in your life, and came up with this?
Home: 0
Transportation: 0
Money: 0
Food: 0
Friends: 1 (another homeless person)
Family: 0
And what if, on top of all that, you've been tragically abused and mistreated your entire life? In the film Monster, the plain looking, twenty-something character of Aileen Wronos survives such savage circumstances by turning cheap tricks on a Florida highway. Lacking decent social skills, or any marketable job skills, Aileen seems dirty and weird even by homeless standards. Then as soon as she concludes that her future must also add up to zero, fate throws something special her way. She finds someone to love.
From the outset, director Patty Jenkins immerses the audience in this filthy, stinking world of base depravity, and human brutality. And through it all, Aileen's love, awakened contrary to her nature, is the one pinpoint of light in all of this darkness. Her love is her single source of hope and salvation. Consequently, we become desperate to see her get out of there, and start her life over again with someone to help her. But, as the newspapers have reported, it doesn't turn out that way.
International beauty Charlize Theron portrays the subject character. Her physical alteration is legendary in our own time, but her emotional transformation is supernatural. She doesn't as much perform in front of the camera, as she does slam us on the side of the head, throttle us, and force us to become involved. People working on this film have reported experiencing the presence of the real Aileen Wronos as they went about her old haunts (no pun intended). With all due respect to Ms. Theron's acting talents, it seems apparent here, that she got some help from the other side.
This film is powerful. At times, everyone seems overwhelmed by the ferocity going on around them. It made me re-evaluate the blessings I have in my life. I'm fortunate enough to live with someone who loves me. I am going to give that person an extra hug tonight.