Intense Acting Performance

Rating: 9/10 (1 November 2013)

I enjoyed this film for pretty much one main reason; the amazing acting and role-submersion of Charlize Theron. She shocked me at times with her boisterous, bullish and downright unfeminine behaviour, but to say I enjoyed the film as a whole and got anything really positive from it would be going too far.
The acting by the rest of the cast, including Christina Ricci, was pretty average in places, maybe because the lead role was so well done. I've no idea how Theron managed to completely adapt to this role and become such an unhinged person, but she did. It still doesn't make for a very fun viewing experience though, watching a person going completely off the rails but convincing themselves and their partner that she's doing nothing wrong and is a still a good person, is pretty weird.
My enjoyment of the film was also dampened because I read into the life of Aileen Wuornos before watching it. It's based on real life facts so I didn't see any harm in doing some research, but it made it feel a little A-Z.
The director emphasised that Wuornos was indeed raped before murdering the first guy, using an additional outburst at the end of the film to underline this fact, iterating a certain sympathy and understanding, although not justification, for the actions of Wuornos - a person abused and despised with a very serious anger problem, unable to distinguish between small disagreements and really, really serious goings on.
I thought the final killing of the man at the end, pleading to be spared to go home to his wife and kids, and the utter inner disgrace and disgust felt by Wuornos at just killing him anyway was really effective. But that was largely down to Theron's acting performance I feel. I knew what was going to happen too, so it wasn't an absolutely amazing film, and maybe I was looking for something else, something more abstract or sinister to get my teeth into, which I didn't fully find.
Sometimes films bring you down, like this one did, eliciting negative or half-arsed reviews, but on reflection turn out to be real wonders if you can get through the sad, relentless depravity.
I'm re-appraising my review and giving the film an upgraded 8-star based on how unbelievably well played Wuornos was by Charlize Theron.