Calling For Love

Rating: Null/10 (29 June 2004)

"Monster" is a film written and directed by Patty Jenkins. It is based on a true story of a Florida serial killer named Aileen Wournos. Charlize Theron stars as Aileen while Christina Ricci plays her helpless girlfriend Selby. Aileen opens the movie attempting suicide. The prostitute decides to spend her last five dollars she performed oral sex for, at the nearest bar with the intentions of not wasting her hard earned money. If God has a plan for her, now would be His last opportunity. After she gets a beer, she is approached by a young lesbian. She makes it clear that she is by no means gay, then becomes friends with the girl. They end up staying the night together and Aileen falls in love. Aileen asks the girl to run away with her. They live in a hotel off the earnings Aileen has made from whoring. One of her customers ends up raping her and attempts to kill her, but she ends up freeing herself and killing him. From then on, she decides to take her customer's money and lives, rather than to perform sexual favors for them, that is until the point when the faces of Aileen and Selby appear as wanted on the television. The critical intention of the movie is monitoring a woman crossing over from good to evil. It attempts to portray Aileen's last attempt to love someone or be loved by someone.
An aspect of the movie that amazed me was the costume and make-up. The artists took one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood and turned her into a street hooker. I find it amazing that Charlize gained thirty pounds for the film. She really grasps the character of the movie. I also enjoyed the movie because it was based on a true story. I like watching or reading something that has actually happened because I feel like I can more relate to it. Something I didn't like about the movie was the vulgar language used. I thought it also concentrated on the love life between the two rather than the actual murders that Aileen committed. I think that the movie should have concentrated more on the murders because it is the significant part of Aileen's life. If the viewer enjoys crime and dramas, this movie might appeal to them, but the plot lagged and the ending was abrupt. This is not a movie I would recommend.