Great performances in an off-centre film

Rating: 6/10 (11 July 2006)

Films about real life serial killers aren't exactly rare, but the story of Aileen Wuornos stands out from many others because it turns the common serial killer story on its head. It's well known that most serial killers are white males aged between twenty five and forty; so the fact that this killer was a woman is notable, as is the fact that Aileen Wuornos was a prostitute who killed men, when it is more commonly the other way around. Wuornos' story is well worth telling, therefore, and the fact that this film was an Oscar contender means that it received good handling and is bolstered by a pair of truly great performances from two top actresses; yet somehow, Monster isn't a great film and falls short of the high standard that many other biopics have set. The plot revolves around prostitute Aileen Wuornos' meeting with Selby; a young lesbian hanging out in a gay bar. We follow the pair as they skip from motel to motel, and we find out what drove Aileen Wuornos to a series of horrible crimes, in which she killed potential clients for their money without having to have sex with them.
The main reason why this film fails is because of the perspective. In any real-life serial killer biopic, no matter what reasons there were for the crimes, the killer has to be the antagonist. However, director Patty Jenkins has seen fit to make Aileen out to be a victim, and while it's evident that she had a bad life; her crimes were horrible nonetheless, and the happy 'feel good' tone of the film is abysmal in the way that it offsets the seriousness of the killer's crimes. The plot plays out like a serial killer flick fused with a romance movie, in the way that it portrays its central pair, and it's obvious that the director wanted us to feel for the plight of the lead character. Credit where credit is due, however; Patty Jenkins gets great performances out of both of her stars. The usually glamorous Charlize Theron is unrecognisable as the 'monster', and gives a brutal and realistic portrayal of the character. Christina Ricci hasn't made a lot of good films recently; but her performance here is faultless, as she brilliantly delivers a performance that takes in all the insecurities and naiveté's of her character. Overall, this film is worth seeing for the lead performances and for the basic plot line, which is interesting; but it's a shame that it wasn't given better handling.