Review of Monster's Ball (2001) by Brad S — 14 Dec 2013

I remember watching this movie in the theatre over ten years ago. At the time the most memorable thing about it was its rather graphic sex scene between Hank and Leticia. If I remember correctly it was actually controversial at the time.

Upon watching it again the movie is actually quite a bit deeper than just that one scene. The story is about a corrections officer who works on death row and how he ends up falling in love with the ex-wife of one of the men he helped execute.

The story has a number of sub-plots that add to the tension and depth of the movie. For example Hank's relationship with his father and son, Leticia's relationship with her son and over course the overarching theme of racisim in Georgia.

The story actually has quite a bit of tension built into it and it's actually quite a good story. If you're watching this movie to see Hally Berry naked don't bother - the movie will be lost on you.

However if you want to see a movie that brings meaningful insight into race relations in the United States, while also providing a tense dramatic story then you should like this movie.