Highly overrated

Rating: Null/10 (16 February 2004)

Charlize Theron's performance in Monster was impressive, but in no way deserving of the acclaim and awards the actress has been getting. Monster is a film that is bleak to the heart, and the gimmick of seeing a gorgeous woman convincingly look ugly does not erase the fact that the thematic content of this movie is void of redeeming facet.
Patty Jenkins supposedly does not want us to sympathize with this woman, but the film I saw cried out for us to sympathize with her.
Even worse, the families of the victims of this serial killer have claimed to be upset that the film shows some of the murders as having been committed in self defense, something that there is no evidence of in real life.
Great crime films are about the victims, and the great ones that are not about the victims do not attempt to make horrible people like martyrs. Aileen Wuornos does not deserve a movie that suggests any of the murders she committed were ok.
Monster is a watchable, but completely negative and depressing expirence at the movies.