Entertaining, yet innacurate

Rating: 6/10 (11 February 2019)

The semi-biographical film Monster directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Charlize Theron is an interesting interpretation of the life of serial killer Aileen Wuornos. What the film lacks in accuracy to the story, it makes up for in story and representation. Aileen "Lee" Wuornos is a down-and-out prostitute and graduate of the school of hard knocks. Since her childhood, she had been on the receiving end of unspeakable sexual abuse. The film opens with Wuornos sitting beneath a highway overpass, revolver in her hands. She contemplates suicide, but instead wanders into a local gay bar, where she meets Selby Wall, portrayed by Christina Ricci.
Despite Wuornos's initial insistence that she is straight, the two quickly become infatuated with each other. Wuornos tries to earn some money to treat Selby better. However, her client proceeds to brutally beat and assault her. Aileen kills him in what is undoubtedly self-defense, steals his car, and vows to run off with Selby and go straight. Her past haunts her, though, and she is unable to find honest work. Her frustration and increasing paranoia sends Aileen down a path of murder, littering the Florida highways with the bodies of six other johns. Selby seems to choose a blissful ignorance to Aileen's crimes, or is perhaps excited by them.
Ultimately, Aileen's psyche crumbles. She sends Selby off to her parents in Ohio. Later, she is in one of her favorite old haunts, a biker bar in Daytona, where she is finally arrested. Aileen admits to her crimes to protect Selby and is executed in 2002.
The entertainment value and production value of this film cannot be denied. The transformation of the beautiful Charlize Theron into the weathered and rough-lived Aileen Wuornos. She is practically unrecognizable in this role. Christina Ricci also portrays the troubled Selby Wall excellently, who's naivety leads her to a dangerous life as an accomplice to a number of gruesome murders.
It cannot be overlooked, however, that this film is a major glorification of the life and crimes of Aileen Wuornos. To begin with, it is difficult to accurately portray a woman who many experts have labeled as a pathological liar. Her post-arrest interviews display a scattered sense of "truth" and many reinterpretations or justifications for her murder spree.
The character of Selby Wall is herself a fictionalization of Wuornos's girlfriend Tyria
Moore, who likely did not want to be portrayed in the film. In both appearance and temperament, Moore was a very different person than Wall. Moore participated in the rowdy, impulsive antics of her partner, including trashing motel rooms and being disruptive at the various dive bars they frequented.
Personally, I feel that the inaccurate depiction of these events does a disservice to the victims. It is generally agreed upon that the murder of Richard Mallory (fictionalized as Vincent Corey in Monster) was indeed self-defense. However, there is skepticism towards the subsequent deaths. Wuornos has a long history of assault and robbery, reflecting an impulsive and reckless personality. If you are looking for an entertaining and disturbing movie, I would recommend this film. However, keep in mind it is not a true-to-fact depiction, and if you are truly interested in the story of Aileen Wuornos, look elsewhere.