Difficult to watch, but well made

Rating: 7/10 (24 January 2004)

SPOILERS AHEAD............
I wanted to see this movie as soon as possible (before the Golden Globes award ceremony) mainly to form my own opinion of the performance of Charlize Theron. I had heard so many glowing comments about it that I became a bit skeptical. Physical transformation does not necessarily make a performance, but Theron seems to reach the emotional level needed to portray this character. It was difficult to watch the movie, and I saw a couple of people walk out, but I sat through it. I was pleasant surprised to see that the movie did not suddenly end (with Aileen's capture by the police), and it did not drag either. Most important, Theron's praise is well deserved and she certainly deserves at least an Oscar nomination.
It is difficult not to feel sorry for her, and it is a tribute to Theron's acting ability, and to the screenplay. Some may see this as an intent to justify her actions. In my opinion, the story simply tries to explain what may have motivated her to do what she did. I did not see any justification - even remotely- of her actions. At times I wanted to beg her to have mercy on the man she was about to kill. At other times I wished that she had simply taken up a job to clean peoples' homes. She was so completely separated from reality that she could not stop dreaming and could not think of such simple ways of making a living. Afterall, she had been a prostitute since age 13. She was now killing for money, which she wanted to use for realizing her dreams, which included goodbye to the life of a hooker, and becoming something wonderful, enjoying life, etc.
I have to admit that I found the physical appearance of Aileen revolting. I never even saw her pictures and did not know about her until this movie came out. At times Charlize Theron appeared way too heavy, and 'monstrous', particularly next to the tiny Christina Ricci who played Selby. I am not sure it was necessary to make her look that way, but may be it was, if the real life Aileen looked that way. The looks did get in the way of the performance, from my perspective at least. That was the only flaw I saw. Otherwise, Theron did a splendid job depicting a very difficult character, and adding complexity to it.
As a movie, I found it difficult to watch, but I would not say it was over the top, considering the horrors committed by the woman. The characters seem real. I had wondered how anybody could actually create a story for a movie out of such a drab news ('a Florida prostitute killed many men'). The story evolves as the relationship between Aileen and Selby evolves and finally ends. The movie held my interest throughout, even though I knew how Aileen's life ended. It was a wasted life and one cannot help wondering 'what if she had received some kind of moral education early in her life'. Still, a murder cannot be justified. Not everyone with a difficult life becomes a murderer. There is a reference to this at one point in the movie, when Selby's guardian lady tells her that having a difficult life is no justification for taking the wrong path.
I thought Christina Ricci portrayed Selby very well- young, innocent, unaccepted by her family, and vulnerable. However, she knew what buttons to push to get Aileen to do what she wanted. I thought she gave an excellent support to Theron, who really occupies the screen (literally and figuratively).
I would recommend seeing this movie mainly for Charlize Theron's performance, but also to see the terrible suffering in life.