I hate drama movies. This one, I loved.

Rating: 10/10 (28 March 2005)

**** out of ****
After having a fight with one of my best friends (or maybe the best), to watch a drama movie was the last thing I had in mind. When I rented "Monster", I already knew that Charlize Theron (whose beauty I have only seen in magazines, Oscar festivals and website photographs) have won the Oscar. I knew that also the cast included Christina Ricci, an actress who I haven't seen in a movie in a long time. I have watched the trailer, thought of the movie as a crime thriller, with drama ingredients, but only watching "Monster", I have realized it was an intense (very) intense drama. I don't like drama movies at all, but this is a rare exception.
As the movie opens, we see scenes of the narration of Charlize's character, Aillen (who in real life was a hooker) and we think of her as a person who just wants to succeed in life. Actually, she tries in the movie, but the way she tries, well, that's something you'll check better while you watch it. What happens in "Monster" is that one day Aillen meets a girl in a bar called Selby (played by Christina). They become friends, Aillen sleeps in Selby's house and one day when they go out together, they kiss each other in a dance floor. That's when they start having relations with each other, like they're a couple. The feeling called love starts to take place. Aillen and Selby move to a house together, as Selby escapes from her home against her parent's will. Before moving on to the rest of the plot, there's something I'd like to say. I remember Roger Ebert's review of Back To The Future - Part II (1989), where he says that the movie is goofy, screwy and an exercise in goofiness. He probably didn't enjoy Part II to its full because the movie was the way he described. But in my opinion, when a movie is screwy, it catches our attention like we're paralyzed or something. We get so curious to know what's going to happen, we think "but what if that happens" and so on. Tarantino's movies (whose birthday was yesterday, I'm writing this review one day after his birthday) are all screwy. In Pulp Fiction (1994), in the chapter of the golden watch, we get to see Bruce Willis with his girlfriend in his apartment building room, preparing the bags to leave with her. But when he finds out he's lost his watch, he starts getting mad, yells at his girlfriend, crashes the TV and goes on a quest to find his lost watch. That involves killing John Travolta, crashing a car on the street and... haven't you seen the movie? I won't spoil this! But what's most funny is that almost all scenes begin so innocently, so natural, so quiet, while characters are talking to each other and all, but than suddenly, we start to see madness takes shape.
All right, getting back to the review, Monster is kinda like that. When Aillen and Selby are finally together in their new room, we start to see why "Monster" is so like the other screwy movies. At the scene of the first client, when Aillen and him are inside the car, they're talking naturally like nothing's really that important is about to happen. Until we see the rest of the scene. And the rest of the movie. Well, you must watch it in order to really understand what I'm saying.
I definitely wouldn't have enjoying this movie that much if it wasn't based on a true story. Because if it wasn't, the plot and the writing would be much too absurd! I couldn't believe Selby was really enjoying being with that hooker, that street woman, that unknown and stranger. I really could believe because I remembered the movie's opening titles "Based on a true story." "Monster" is nicely directed by Patty Jenkins, who really made a masterpiece as a director. When you select the DVD's extra features and start watching the making of Monster, you understand why Jenkins is so talented in this movie. She went to all the real locations that the story took place and filmed the movie at the same ones. As she said in the documentary, she really got inside her movie. Charlize also deserved the leading role academy award for her talent as well. I guess that Christina Ricci also made a wonderful job as Selby, it was a very emotional performance. Great! Really great! Both of them! BT's score is also really great! That piano sounds at the roller wheal scene even made me remember Final Fantasy X's score where Tidus goes to Besaid for the first time. Everyone gave everything they could to bring you this drama movie based on a true story. I really suggest even if you do not like drama movies, to watch this one, because it's great! Just don't fight with anyone before watching this movie or you may get sad twice you should be.