Review of Monster (2003) by Filipeneto — 15 Nov 2020

Directed by Patty Jenkins, this darkly named film is about the life and criminal course of Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute who became a serial killer who killed her clients. I do not know the life of the true criminal strictly, so I am not the best person to judge whether the film is true to the facts, but I believe that numerous concessions have been made to creative and dramatic freedom. However, it is not a horror movie as it could be, nor is it a simple police thriller. What we have here is a very human film, deeply dramatic, and in a way, I felt, gives a human soul to a criminal who, in a different film, would have been converted into a character without any soul.

In fact, the script was able to use the drama to emphasize all the humanity of the main character. Aileen is shown as a woman who started selling her body when she was young and by pure necessity, but ended up being ostracized by everyone, abandoned by her own family (a totally unstructured family) and had no more opportunities to leave the streets, leaving herself to the whims and brutality of customers, who were mostly rude men. The harshness of life made her what she was, and cruelty led her to lose confidence in men. The crimes she committed were the way of fighting back, and it is not by chance that the only affective connection in which the character really gets involved is with another woman, a young woman that she still feels has the purity that she herself has already lost, and that she admires because of that.

Charlize Theron is one of those actresses that you don't normally think about much when you need someone capable of deeply employing a character and giving her charisma, strength and depth. I, at least, didn't see it that way until I saw this movie. It was a surprise the way Theron grabbed the character and boldly transformed himself into her. The actress achieved what, for me, is her biggest and most complete dramatic work and deserved the Oscar for Best Actress that she won at the 2004 ceremonies. Beside her, the young but talented Christina Ricci gave life to a more restrained role, and that ends up being a little forgotten because of the spectacular work of the protagonist. And if she ends up in the shadows herself, what about the secondary cast? They are totally reduced to figuration. This film was carried on the back by Theron, with merit and praise.

Being a film so focused on the main character and the overwhelming performance of the actress that gave it body, the technical aspects end up a little in the background. However, they deserve a positive note, especially with regard to cinematography, with an elegantly done filming and editing job and realistic crimes without abuse of effects and fake blood. The makeup and costume work is also good, in that it exudes reality and emphasizes the harshness and risk of those who work in street prostitution. With regard to Theron, it is worth highlighting the way in which her facial and physical appearance was altered for the character. Everything else is used with discretion, not to say parsimony, from the effects of light and shadow to the soundtrack.