Unpleasant and very little fun to watch but, despite some slips, it is a strong film and fair dramatisation of the story that is tragic, depressing and has nothing that will uplift you in any way

Rating: Null/10 (29 September 2004)

Aileen Wuornos is a drifter and low rent prostitute. Turning up in a gay bar to spend her last $5 before killing herself brings about a chance meeting with the young and pretty Selby, trying to work out her own sexuality. While turning tricks for enough money for a motel, Aileen experiences a violent John, who she kills in response to a brutal rape attempt. With the money and the car she takes from him, Aileen takes Selby away with her for a life of partying and fun but, when the money runs out and the chances for real employment amount to zero, Aileen goes back out on the street. However faced with one more penis to sick, Aileen kills her John, starting a violent cycle of murder.
A few months ago I saw Nick Broomfield's follow up documentary on Wuornos in which he followed her appeal and then her final days, hours and minutes before her death sentence was carried out. From that viewpoint I was left with no doubt that Wuornos was in no fit mental state to be executed even though she killed those men in cold blood  I suggest you see it for yourself because it is a film that will shake you deep about your sense of justice. Seeing Monster after that film puts me in a strange position where I felt that the film was unsure whether or not it felt sympathy for Aileen or judged her. I think it was a strength of the writing that it didn't seek to totally excuse or to condemn and ended up somewhere in the middle  acknowledging the totally sh*t life she had but never excusing her murders or making them less than the cold blooded executions that they were. In trying to dramatise this story the film just about manages to do it well, producing a film that is tragic, violent, idealistic and repulsive in equal measures. Occasionally I did wonder why I was watching such a bleak, depressing story when I'd already heard it from the woman herself, but it was worth it overall.
The main criticism I would have was that Jenkins was making a dramatisation of this story, not a totally true one  so we don't know how brutally she was beaten that caused her to kill, nor do we know if she really wept and struggled to kill some of her victims; these are things that are added to the character that we can't be sure of, but I didn't feel they were over the top. As director, Jenkins is much better; she frames her shots well and she directs with style but without making it flashy over too obvious  some shots are so sparse and bleak that I felt they captured the tone really well. Of course the film is carried by a massive performance from Theron who, looks, sounds and acts just like the Wuornos that I have seen on the documentaries. So often trading on her looks and denied good roles, she takes to this with total enthusiasm and she thoroughly deserved the Oscar that she got for it. Ricci is equally as good but obviously is in the shadows for most of the film. Her character was never really explained and was treated more as our way in by Jenkins as opposed to being a major part of the story and the murders. Minor roles for Dern and Vince add interest but I did have to wonder why either of them were happy to accept such minor roles  certainly Vince is a much better actor and too well known to be given a role of 'John #5' and be given a hand job.
Overall this is a powerful film that avoids swinging one way or another, although it is evident that, at times, Jenkins did find herself coming down on the side of Wuornos at some points  but happily never too heavily. The story is unpleasant and it is no fun to watch no matter what your view of the outcome is. It is greatly helped by two great performances, especially Theron, who I seriously doubt will ever get a role this good again.