Over-the-top and Disastrous

Rating: 4/10 (16 February 2004)

Although MONSTER is highly-regarded among epic performances, I couldn't help but be utterly disgusted by this movie. (And not in the effective kind of way...) I found this movie extremely difficult to relate to, as for the fact I'm not a psychotic drunk prostitute, and I assume most of you are not either. I felt the intention of this film was to make the watcher feel one thing: Pity. Yes, Aileen had a terrible life, but this movie doesn't make me feel the least bit sorry for her. Frame after frame all that is presented to you is just another terrible event that builds on the pity towards Aileen. It just didn't work for me. It didn't change my perspective on life, it didn't convince me to feel bad for serial killers because they succumb to human nature that was 'brought on by everyone else but themselves.' No life lessons learned here. Why? Because there is nothing to relate to. This film doesn't show you the Aileen before everything went terribly wrong. This was the fatal mistake of MONSTER.
Charlize Theron is yes, pretty impressive in this film, but it is NOT award-winning material. It is over-the-top and terribly conceived. As for Christina Ricci, the character she plays is overly naive. Exaggerated to the point of absolute mockery. If you want to see a movie that will have an effect on you, see something you can relate to, like In America, or 21 Grams even. As for this film, the only feeling I left with was an extreme wanting to go take a shower to wash all this bad film-making off me.