Powerful, haunting

Rating: Null/10 (4 September 2004)

Did Charlize Theron deserve the Oscar for this role? Oh, Yes! Seldom have I seen a performance by anyone that was as much of a total transformation. Not once was there a hint of the breathtakingly beautiful, woman that has graced so many other movies. She actually became this extremely tortured soul. Much like "Dead Man Walking", "Monster's Ball" and "Leaving Las Vegas", this was a movie I hesitated to watch. When I did see it I was drawn into the pain and chaos of the characters lives. It did not seem overly sentimental or slanted to make me sympathize with the situation. As various aspects of the characters background was revealed it became clear that these were people desperate to have a little happiness in their lives regardless of what has happened to them in the past or the cost to themselves or others. My heart goes out to the victims and their families. This includes everyone who was involved in this tragic situation, for everyone was a victim in this movie.