I'm Not Sure How I Feel About This Film

Rating: 5/10 (9 February 2005)

I have seen Nick Broomfield's sublime documentary on Aileen Wuornos, from the 90s, and in it, she appears "nicer" than her two-faced lawyer and "adoptive" mother, both! In one of her last interviews, you see her as she really was--a rather "nice," but mixed up person, who was terrible abused by almost everyone she loved and trusted!
At the end, you learn that the 7 death sentences for the 7 killings--all of which were obviously in self defense--could have been lifted, because the police were selling their story! I believe, that, like in the Hollywood version, which is based on Aileen's life, the police were corrupt johns, definitely. However, I do not believe that she'd kill an "innocent" man in cold blood, as depicted in the movie. I know that a woman, Patty Jenkins, wrote and directed Charlize Theron, who was "good" in this--gaining weight and changing her appearance to "match" Aileen's quite "exactly"--and that is something we should "cheer" about. However, a rather obscure production company I'd never heard of before made this picture, only a year after Aileen's execution in 2002! I cannot help but feel the police "profitted" off this picture, but I cannot say for sure, so if I'm "wrong," then please forgive me! But I seem to have a "sixth sense" about such things, and I "felt" for Aileen, who did not seem to want such a movie made while she was alive, frankly!
That said, at your website here, which sometimes "gets it wrong," I might add, it is said that Aileen gave Jenkins her letters to read. I did see the special edition DVD, in which she is shown reading those, with Charlize. She contacted a "friend" of Aileen's, too, no? My memory isn't clear who, anymore. But she had access to those. So the truth is "foggy" to me. Did Aileen want this made? If so, did she get paid?