Monster

 

Monster 2003

• Director: Patty Jenkins
• Seen by this director: Wonder Woman
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Charlize Theron – Atomic Blonde, Mad Max Fury Road, Prometheus, The Road, Battle in Seattle, North Country, Sweet November, Cider House Rules, The Astronaut’s Wife
• Christina Ricci - The Man Who Cried, Sleepy Hollow, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Ice Storm
• Bruce Dern – Once upon a Time in Hollywood, The Peanut Butter Falcon, Freaks, The Hateful Eight, Django Unchained, Silent Running, They Shoot Horses Don’t They
• Why? I remember it as good.
• Seen: Once before. Now 30 September 2022      

       Lee (Theron), a hooker with a rough background, meets Selby (Ricci), an innocent-looking young girl from a good Christian family, in a gay bar. They fall hard for each other and plan to meet at a hotel. Lee does some quick hooking to get cash but runs into a sadistic rapist and kills him in self-defence.

       She and Selby run off together.

       Based on a true story of a hooker who murdered seven johns is, according to some reviews, not all that true, Lee wasn’t at all a serial killer with a heart of gold just looking for love.

       Aside from that, is the film as good as many say?

       Not really. Its intention is no doubt good – to show that hookers aren’t hookers for the fun of it and that women have rough lives, some more than others. True.

       But it doesn’t quite work. Theron won an Oscar for her performance and even those who don’t like the film praise her to the skies. To me, however, her exaggerated macho strutting and tossing of hair is hammy, even irritating, and I felt little sympathy for her. Still, Theron as an actor is to be admired for taking on the role. 

3* of 5.