Review of Monster's Ball (2001) by The3Academysins — 16 Apr 2018

Monster's Ball is a movie that suffers from bad writing and hit or miss directing, but is ultimately salvaged by some incredible acting performances; particularly on the parts of Halle Berry, Heath Ledger, and Billy Bob Thornton.

The script is just all over the place in terms of tone. There is a very clear difference between the first hour and the second hour, and the main problem is that they do not go well together. Each half is almost a good movie when standing on it's own.

In terms of direction, Monster's Ball sometimes takes on a mythic quality in terms of race relations in the United States, and in terms of people who are suffering from emotional trauma. The handling of this trauma is not done very well by the film, but the actors definitely do a good job interpreting how people really handle the trauma afterwards.

Some shots and cinematography are quite incredible, particularly the legendary sex scene and the final shot of the film. The pacing also lags a bit in this movie, and it will be hard to pay attention.

If you're a fan of incredible acting, I have no problem recommending Monster's Ball to you. Casual movie-goers will probably find this one hard to digest.