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Starring: Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Lee Tergesen, Bubba Baker
Directed by: Patty Jenkins
Produced by: Charlize Theron, Matt Damon, Clark Peterson, Brad Wyman, Mark Damon, Donald Kushner, Sammy Lee

Based on a true story, "Monster" examines the story surrounding the serial killer, Aileen Lee Wuornos, played by Charlize Theron. The film chooses to place aside the representation the world was given about Wuornos the serial killer, and instead focuses on Wuornos the human being and whatever it was that prompted this woman to kill.

The film begins by pulling the viewer into the plot with a brief outlook on Lees childhood. We see her evolve from a young girl full of ambition to a drifting prostitute with no prospects. She meets the lonely young teenager, Selby, played by Christina Ricci at a local bar, not realising it is a gay bar. Although Lee is at first cautious of Selbys homosexuality, the two women immediately connect and we see the beginning of an unusual relationship. Selby unknowingly gains Lees trust and love when she tells her she is beautiful, words Lee has obviously never heard from a man. We learn early on in the film that Lee has had a string of unlucky and abusive relationships with men and this serves to accent her gay relationship with Selby.

Selby lives with her aunt, where she has been sent by her father as a desperate bid to cure her homosexuality. The two decide to flee their lives together and Lees unsuccessful attempts to get a job force her back into prostitution. It is at this point that Lee accepts that life will always be cruel to her. In her attempts to find work all she meets with is discrimination, cruelty and alienation. All the horror and tragedy of her past come back to her and she reacts to this with violence, killing at first the man who rapes her, then relentlessly murdering a string of other clients.

It can be said that in Monster, Theron takes on one of the most challenging roles of her career throwing down the make-up and feminine clothing of the Hollywood star in favour of the tomboy-like appearance of a struggling prostitute. She is almost unrecognisable and immediately captures Lees powerful and vigorous nature. Theron is extremely believable in this role, infinitely proving her versatility as an actress, with her performance deservedly assuring her a place in the long line of Oscar winners.

This film is almost intrusive, with the camera crawling along the streets and back alleys of America. It seems to look behind the closed doors of society, revealing that which the clean and happy side of the world chooses to ignore: prostitution, rape and murder. Even the shots of Lee as a child at the beginning of the film are darkened by the looming presence of the abusive father. With Jenkinss use of the close-up, one cannot help but notice Lees shift in character, from the beautiful, innocent child to the tormented, almost volatile adult. Lee is full of the hope of escape as a youth, but eventually accepts the tragedy and darkness of her life as an adult.

Surrounding her story, we are always made aware of an invisible male presence: Lees father, the men she had relationships with, and indeed, Selbys father. The fact that we never see these men allows us to focus on Lees victims, particularly on her first victim: a violent rapist. As a consequence, in this film, we are drawn into empathising with Lee. She is a murderess and we see her belligerence in her actions, but she is herself a victim.

Despite Therons exceptional performance, one cannot overlook the role of Ricci as supporting actress. One has seen Ricci before in the role of the angst-ridden adolescent teenager: The Ice Storm, The Addams Family, Casper. In Monster, she comes at this role from a different angle, accenting her naivety and innocence throughout the film and changing as the film progresses. Indeed, these two actresses complement one another and Selby almost provides a calming side to the energetic character of Lee.

Having watched Monster, one is prompted to consider the choice of title. It seems to question whether Wuornoss motives were purely evil or whether they were just the consequences of a tormented upbringing. The film does not ask you to believe that there is an excuse for murdering human beings, but does give an attempt at answering the question, Why? Monster not only gives a representation of the story surrounding Aileen Wuornos, but also questions the ignorance and discrimination of society and the believability of media representations, suggesting that what one reads in the papers should always be taken with a pinch of salt. Was Aileen Wuornos just a calculating, evil murderess or just a desperate woman full of rage having been a victim herself all her life? With this in mind, perhaps the title of this movie should have ended with a question mark?
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