Review of Monster's Ball (2001) by Spangle — 10 Jan 2017

Monster's Ball is just an average film with excellent performances. While the acting can cover up many of its blemishes, the film crumbles into nothing but a safe Hollywood romance between two very different people who decide to solve racism together. The first half of the film, however, is exceptional. Telling the story of a death row inmate who has seemingly been rehabilitated, but still must die, the first half is incredibly tragic. The second half is just a corrections officer stealing the dead guy's girl without ever telling her. A thoroughly Southern film, Monster's Ball is the both the best of times and the worst times with the final product being almost as tragic as the first half.

Pairing together corrections officer Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) with Leticia Musgrove (Halle Berry), Monster's Ball is largely a story about prejudice. Hank is mostly prejudiced himself, but nothing like his father Buck (Peter Boyle). His son, Sonny (Heath Ledger), is more open and is perceived as being soft by his father and grandfather. All corrections officers (though Buck is retired), Hank and Sonny must preside over the electrocution of Lawrence Musgrove (Sean Combs). A docile and rehabilitated man, this portion is tragic as we see him display his artistic talents and say goodbye to his wife and son. In many ways, director Marc Forster channels The Green Mile, which had come out two years prior. Also a parable about race, Forster merely discards the magical negro angle and the innocent messenger of God portion. Instead, he opts for a realistic and gritty portrayal of electrocution without any of the Hollywoodized elements. For this, Monster's Ball is terrifically rewarding in the first half. Sean "P. Diddy" Combs shocked me in this film with a terrifically reserved and emotional performance. Trying to put on a tough face while coping with the incredible turmoil of knowing you are set to die, his performance as Lawrence steals the film. It is a shame he has not really been given more chances to act in better films, because he truly nails this role.

This first half also begins to introduce us to Leticia and her relationship with her son. Obese for his age, Leticia is meticulous in trying to get him to lose weight, but he cannot help himself from eating. Obviously torn apart by the death of Lawrence, Berry does a tremendous job in the first half and when with her son. Down on her luck with a busted car and nearing eviction from her home, Berry plays a woman without much. She gets less when even more tragic occurrences arise, but throughout Berry is terrific. Emotionally raw, yet distant, she turns in a truly somber performance that earned her an Oscar and rightfully so. However, unfortunately for Berry, the film gets worse when she is on screen more as it means it is time for the bad romance between her and Hank. Beginning to have sex with her when she is emotionally distraught to concealing that he was a corrections officer when Lawrence died, this relationship is always doomed. Of course, the film ends with her knowing and him never mentioning a thing. For many, this may be realistic and authentic with how their relationship is more important than one element, but this one element is pretty big. It is not like Hank could have stopped the execution, but is it not common courtesy to let somebody know you saw their husband die before you begin sleeping with them? Seems like the right thing to do, but Forster's romance is so half-baked and emotionally exploitative, this is hardly the only issue with the second half. Even worse, the second half is incredibly dull. After an intense and emotional first half, the second half resorts to a long and drawn out sex scene that adds nothing to the film and Hank jumping the gun repeatedly in a relationship that is doomed to fail (declaring she is his girlfriend, kicking his racist dad out of the house, and naming his gas station after her). This romance is supposed to be subtle and authentic, but just feels like watching paint dry.

A mixed bag, the first half of Monster's Ball is excellent. If only that could have been the whole film though, as the second half moves at a snail's pace and sort of just dies at the end. Though the acting is excellent - particularly by Halle Berry, Sean Combs, and the always magnificent Peter Boyle - the film's second half just feels too convenient and without any sort of emotional pay-off. It just lingers and drags until Forster feels the film is long enough to mercifully end it all.