Performance of the millennium

Rating: 10/10 (20 January 2004)

If for no other reason than to witness acting magic, see Monster. I have never been a huge fan of Ms. Theron's (she was slightly amusing in Curse of the Jade Scorpion and Celebrity), but this isn't Theron per se. Instead, the actress becomes female serial killer Wuornos - an external and internal transformation that is arresting, haunting and beautiful in its art and craft. I can't remember a better performance that continually grabs the audience by the lapels and elicits both shock and sympathy all in the same moment. The supporting performances are fine (Ricci passes in a complex and demanding role). But Theron's turn made me more than once wonder if this were a Hollywood movie or a riveting A&E documentary.