A near miracle

Rating: 10/10 (28 April 2004)

Theron and Ricci give performances in this film that defy what anyone can reasonably expect from actors. They are so credible, so vulnerable and so utterly convincing, they become more than just believable; they become real. After watching this film twice, their realism is disturbingly intimate. I honestly feel a sense of 'knowing' these people. Wuornos and Selby feel, in my gut, like people I actually spent time with. Acting rarely has the power to occupy a part of our memory; here, it possesses the power of an actual experience, an actual acquaintance. Theron rightly won an Academy awrd for this role, and should receive recognition as one of the best, riskiest actors working in mainstream film today. Ricci's role was less of a physical transformation, but no less compelling. She deserves an equal share of recognition for the greatness of this picture.
Patty Jenkins direction is perfect, from the use of sound and (period) music, to her masterful choices editing. Film violence is so common as to be dull, yet Jenkins crafted a genuine sense of horror around the inevitable killings. Cutting away from them to emotional aftermath scenes made the weight of the crime almost unbearable. You don't necessarily 'side with' Wuornos, but you empathize with her panicked fear, her demand from the universe that the violence be forgotten as much to have peace in her life as to evade human justice.
Reading a little about the Wuornos case after the film, I am a bit disappointed at the dramatic license taken in the script. Time is compressed into what appears to be a few panicky weeks of killing; in fact, Wuornos killed more men over a longer time period than shown here. This makes the film's version easier to choke down. The film Wuornos seems more surrounded by fate. In reality, Wuornos had much more breathing room between her crimes, and less of a linear pressure to come up with cash. Also, Selby (who is based on a real life woman named Tyria Moore) is far more vulnerable and empathetic than Wuornos' real girlfriend. Moore, for example, called Wuornos numerous times in prison to manipulate her into confessing her crimes over a bugged phone. Moore also was not the gentle, church-raised young lesbian Selby was; she had had numerous other female relationships, and a minor criminal record prior to meeting Wuornos. Their love may have been as intense and genuine as shown in the film, but their lives were so distinct a contrast of innocence and experience.
Departing from fact doesn't detract from the film's power or value. It does, however, temper what I took away from it. The film's trapped, desparate and tragically lonely women elicit a good deal of sympathy. As such, the reality of Wuornos' execution in 2002 seems indicted by its sense of justice. Regardless of your opinions on the death penalty (and I am against it), however, the facts of this film differ from those which sent Wuornos to death row. As such, the raw emotions brought about by this excellent film should be tempered with that perspective.
On the whole, MONSTER is a nearly flawless film. As depressing as its subject may be, the emotional intensity is very rewarding experience. It should become the classic it deserves to be.