A Fine Film, Could Have Used More Action

Rating: 7/10 (25 October 2009)

Aileen Wuornos was probably the most notorious serial killers of the past few decades, certainly the most notable female killer. This film brings her story to the forefront, to the attention of the mainstream American audience, who may not otherwise be acquainted with serial killer minutiae.
For those watching "Monster" as a horror film, it may be a bit of a disappointment. There's precious little blood and gore, and even the violence is not the primary focus. It is not one of those low budget, exploitative serial killer flicks. This comes off as more of a drama, and even though Charlize Theron presents Aileen as a "monster", we have her presented from an angle where we can see her tortured logic, and almost even identify... on at least one occasion, the homicide seems justified.
What drew me to this was the inclusion of my love, Christina Ricci, in the supporting actress role. While it is not one of my favorite roles she's played (for those, see "Addams Family" or "Casper" or many others), she does it well. She comes off as the naive lesbian girl just wanting to be loved, perhaps too much so. For all the protection Aileen can offer, is it worth the cost? This is a well made film. It's gritty, grim but still watchable. Theron and Ricci give good performances, as does just about everyone else. What makes this film difficult to rate highly is it's inability to be categorized. Not really horror, but a bit dark for a drama... more like a film you'd find on the Lifetime network, only actually decent. If you want a cinematic account of Wuornos' life, this is the one you want... otherwise I don't know who to recommend this one to.