"I got it under f...in' control, man."

Rating: 9/10 (29 September 2017)

I can't understand the number of reviewers on this board who feel that the character of Aileen Wuornos was given sympathetic treatment in the picture. Sympathetic? Really? If you didn't get the impression that she was a mentally defective, vicious and sadistic killer, than I don't know what movie one might have been watching. Aileen is all of that, as she slides off the rails of humanity while still believing she's a real good person.
So as far as the story goes, I think the film did a good job of portraying the real Aileen Wuornos, and is perhaps confirmed by reviewer 'piXelpiXelpiXel' commenting on a real life experience with the former prostitute. But in any event, one cannot disregard the stunning portrayal by Charlize Theron of the story's central character. When the picture first came out, and even today, I can't wrap my head around Theron's appearance as Wuornos, with the blotchy face, the weight gain and the dental implants. Her mannerisms and facial tics as well lend an eerie presence to the glamorous actress that I wasn't prepared for back then, and am still mesmerized by today.
As Wournos's friend Selby, Christina Ricci is generally competent, but I just didn't get the attraction between the pair. Then again, I can't imagine anyone being attracted to a figure like Wuornos, who even if she had cleaned up some of her act, would have stood out as something of a hillbilly. As dramatic and nerve wracking as the story was though, I almost cracked up at one point when Selby turns to Aileen and states "We can be as different as you want to be, but you can't kill people". It was offered almost like career advice and struck me so oddly that I had to stop the film at that point to ponder what Selby said.
Anyway, this is not a film for entertainment purposes, pretty much the title tells you that much. However it is a provocative film experience that will test your emotions, so be prepared for some unsettling responses to the story.