The making of a monster isn't as black and white as you may think.

Rating: 6/10 (8 December 2010)

"In my life, it's always been the harmless stuff that hurts the most. Whereas the things so horrible you can't even imagine it, is usually a lot easier than you think."
Monster is a dark, unpleasant, ugly movie about one of America's first female serial killers. I don't say those things in a negative manner, because those attributes were intentional, and help tell the story in the realistic way that (writer and director) Patty Jenkins was aiming for.
I usually have little interest in movies like this, but there were two reasons why it ended up being somewhat worthwhile for me. First, Jenkins tries to show the circumstances of the life and crimes Aileen Wuornos without condemning or excusing her. She was a woman who had lived a life of horrible events and circumstances, and that context helps the movie be more interesting than your average flick about serial killers.
The second reason was the performances of the two lead actresses. Both Christina Ricci and Charlize Theron were amazing, but Theron really gave one of those "once in a lifetime" performances. She completely disappeared into her character in a way that's incredibly difficult to do for a mega-famous actor or actress. And it took quite a toll on her during filming, which you can see if you check out the special features included with the DVD.
As I said, this isn't the kind of movie I usually go for, but it was obvious even to me that Monster is a cut above most movies in the genre. Don't hesitate to check it out if it sounds like something that would interest you, and even if it doesn't, you might want to see it just for the outstanding performances.