Could have been better

Rating: 7/10 (30 January 2004)

Monster has many flaws that go overlooked solely because of Charlize Theron's performance as serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Theron carries the entire movie on her back and the argument can and will be made that it is one of the greatest performances ever by an actress. I saw the documentary Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer several years ago and while I was watching Monster, there were times that I forgot Charlize Theron was in the movie. She does such an amazing job as Wuornos that it is hard to separate the real Aileen from the fake one. For people who have never heard of Aileen Wuornos, they will be just as blown away by Theron. The movie starts strong as it shows the beginning of Aileen's relationship with Selby (Ricci). The audience also begins to understand how this monster was created although it never seems to be explored in depth. The bond between Selby and Aileen, as well as Aileen's story, are both very interesting but midway through the film the movie begins to repeat itself and loses its focus. This is not a great movie, but rather an okay movie with an incredible performance in it. 8/10.