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A Sony release. Written and directed by Patty Jenkins; starring Charlize Theron and Christina Ricci. Released to DVD on June 1, 2004.  Just after screening director James Foley’s Wonderland, I vowed that I wasn’t going to see any other biographical epics (biopics). It wasn’t just the fact that I haven’t seen a good biopic over the last five years, it’s that my reviews are always the same. I start off by criticizing the lack of plot development in the project, move on to a discussion about the huge gaps in the script generated from the filmmakers’ attempts to condense the events of one person’s entire life into something two hours long and then finish by chastising the director for adding gratuitous and fictional drama to the movie when he felt it was lagging. With no less than six reviews of this nature on my laptop, I began to question my objectivity about the genre. Realizing that I had an extremely negative bias towards biopics, I figured it would probably be best if I simply stopped writing about them when they hit theaters, thus quashing any ethical concerns readers might have had. Then writer/director Patty Jenkins’ Monster was released, and with it a host of Oscar buzz for its star Charlize Theron (who would later go on to win the coveted statue for her performance here). It was my very first test. Could I abide by the rule I’d made for myself? Could I refrain from writing something about Monster? Sixteen lines in, the answer should, by now, be patently obvious. So I couldn’t avoid writing about Monster, particularly with Theron’s powerful portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wuornos garnering so many different awards. But, I vowed, I wouldn’t let my review of Monster fall into the same trap as all the rest of the biopics I’ve reviewed… even if Monster’s plot was poorly paced, there were large holes in the script and Jenkins had resorted to spicing up several events in Wuornos’ life in order to make her seem slightly more sympathetic to the audience.
Theron stars in Monster as Aileen Wuornos, America’s first well-publicized female serial killer. Sporting a feminine mullet, 30 extra pounds and more makeup than Richard Simmons (courtesy of makeup artist extraordinaire Toni G), Theron positively leaps into the lead (and titular) role of Wuornos. Aileen is a repulsive human being and part-time prostitute who has been completely beaten down by life. As Monster opens, Aileen is sitting under an underpass, eyeing a gun and debating about the merits of killing herself. She talks herself out of suicide for the moment, intent on spending the last of her limited money before she dies. And so Aileen heads to a nearby bar where fate intervenes in the form of Shelby (Christina Ricci), a young and closeted lesbian who actually seems to care about Aileen. Monster is the tale of Aileen and Shelby’s unlikely love affair, juxtaposed against Aileen’s descent into the hell created by her decision to murder a number of her johns.
Monster marks Jenkins’ directorial foray in the world of feature films and despite Theron’s dramatic breakout performance in the lead role, Monster is a surprisingly simple film. Jenkins seems to have deliberately chosen the most basic presentation of the on-screen material in order to make the biggest impression on the viewer. Rarely ever diverging from the time-honored tradition of editing between the master shot and close-ups of the actors, Jenkins’ film is anything but stylish.
By shooting the project in such a fashion, Jenkins gives the material a more documentary like feel; special effects, quick zooms and whip pans are fancy camera tricks, but ultimately do little to convince the audience that the actions they are viewing are thoroughly realistic. While this elementary approach to the film does give Theron’s performance an added boost and the story a reassuring touch of believability—even if Jenkins does completely overlook the real life Wuornos’ mental instability—it also has one major drawback: nothing on-screen could ever be consider anything remotely captivating. With few unique camera angles and even less camera movement, Monster is a completely and thoroughly bland film to watch.  For better or for worse, Monster’s filmmakers hinged the entirety of their movie’s success on two issues: Theron’s performance and the American public’s interest in their semi-accurate and virtually non-climactic portrayal of Aileen Wuornos’ days as a serial killer. Jenkins and her producers should be commended for the supreme chance they took when making Monster and Theron should be heralded for winning the Oscar for her work here, but the praise should end there. In the larger scheme of movie making, Monster is strangely and abjectly mediocre.
chris neumer yes, it's true: The following was taken from Aileen Wuornos' last words. She was deemed mentally competent by the state of Florida. Twice. "I'd just like to say I'm sailing with the Rock and I'll be back like Independence Day with Jesus, June 6, like the movie, big mothership and all." |
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