Intense Film

Rating: 7/10 (9 February 2020)

Basic Information: This movie came out in 2003 and it was written and directed by Patty Jenkins. The film stars Charlize Theron as Aileen (Lee) and Christina Ricci as Selby. Monster is based on the real life experiences of prostitute / serial killer, Aileen Wuornos.
Brief Description: ** SPOILER ALERT ** As I said before, this film is based on the real life events of Aileen Wuornos, better known as Lee. Lee is from Florida and was sexually abused by one of her fathers friends when she was eight years old. When she confronted her father about it, he beat her for "making it up." Before she knew it, Lee was a homeless prostitute in Florida, selling herself just to make enough money for food and booze. She meets Selby at a bar and after a few drinks they hit it off. Selby moved away from her parents because her father was very religious and wouldn't accept the fact that she was a lesbian. After one of Lee's clients rapes her she kills him out of self defense and it scarred her very seriously. So much so that it sends her on a killing spree of clients who think they are paying for something else. Lee and Selby run away, using cars and money that Lee steals from the men that she murders. As you would imagine, Lee's actions catch up to her and she gets arrested by the police at a bar she frequently went to. Lee is found guilty and is sentenced to death where she would spend 12 years before her execution.
Production Highlights: I think the main production highlight of this movie was how real it felt. As a viewer I felt like I was seeing most of the situations from either Lee or Selby's perspective. I think Jenkins did a really good job in this area.
Recommendation: Personally I would not recommend this film. I realize that it is well written and produced but the whole movie I felt uncomfortable, so I would not recommend it.
Conclusion: Patty Jenkins brings us on Aileen Wuornos's journey from prostitution to serial killer. It is clear that is film is written from a women's perspective and I think Jenkins does a great job capturing the gruesome events that happened to Lee.