Plot: What’s it about?
Aileen Wournos (Charlize Theron) has been used and abused her entire life, but she is not a total victim. She had chances to better herself, but those chances were wasted on bad decisions or bad relationships. But she didn’t have the choice in some of her problems, so while some of her pain was avoidable, a lot of it was not. When she finds herself down to her last few dollars, with no real options outside of prostitution, she considers taking her own life. She pushes on however, unaware that her life is about to take a positive turn. Wournos soon meets Selby Wall (Christina Ricci), a young woman sent to Florida to overcome her sexual preferences. She is a lesbian, but mostly to upset her parents and for shock value. She and Wournos strike up a friendship right from the start, which soon turns into a more serious partnership. Wournos became attached to her new friend, so much so that she vowed to make a better life for herself. That meant more income was needed, so Wournos went back to the highways as a prostitute, serving the needs of truckers passing through. One such job went sour and instead of being victimized, Wournos fought back, killed the man, and took all she could from his holdings. This leads to a rash of murders, fueled by her internal rage and her desperation for a normal life, but will the plan succeed?
A lot of movies have been made about serial killers, but most tend to be lackluster, made for television productions. In the case of Aileen Wournos however, the real life horrors of a cold blooded murderer became a tense, incredible experience. Wournos was a bitter, abused woman who left a trail of seven dead bodies in her wake. Her life was harsh and brutal, but she took that same road and in the end, was placed behind bars for her actions. The story had solid potential, but I had some doubts about how well the movie would turn out. Charlize Theron, a gorgeous woman with minimal dramatic experience was cast in the lead, a move that had to raise some eyebrows. But in the end, not only did Theron come through in the clutch with an excellent performance, her haunting turn here won her worldwide acclaim, not to mention a Best Actress Oscar. Her presence is a major part of Monster, but she is not the sole attraction. Her costars are well chosen and up to the challenge, while Wournos’ story is well handled. This is by no means exploitation, just a balanced look at one person’s tragic life and the paths taken. The tension is real and tangible, thanks to superb direction and of course, Theron’s performance. Columbia’s DVD has some nice extras, but even in a bare bones edition, it would be impossible not to recommend Monster. I’d still love a full blown Special Edition though, one that not only allowed Theron to discuss her experiences on the shoot, but also deal more with the real story behind the picture.
She was perhaps best known for her frequent nude scenes, but once Monster hit theaters, Charlize Theron became a true star. Once just a hottie with some decent potential, Theron shot to the upper ranks of Hollywood, fueled by the performance of a lifetime, one that I doubt anyone could have predicted. The role, which is as non glamorous as can be, wouldn’t seem like one Theron would even go after, but she score the part. Then she burned up the screen with a tour de force effort that stunned the world, critics and audiences alike. I think we all knew she had talent, but she surpassed everyone’s expectations here. I mean, a lot of sex symbols have tried to prove their dramatic merit, but Theron goes beyond that. Her visual appearance is a shock, but her incredible depth within the character is even more of a shock. If you’ve ever seen the real life Wournos, then you’ll be floored by how close Theron’s turn cuts to the real woman. In short, Theron’s work alone makes this a must see picture, end of story. Other films with Theron include The Cider House Rules, Men of Honor, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, and The Devil’s Advocate. The cast also includes Christina Ricci (The Addams Family, Pumpkin), Lee Tergesen (Wayne’s World, Tv’s Oz), and Bruce Dern (The Glass House, The Wild Angels).
Video: How does it look?
Monster is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. As expected, this is a top notch visual presentation in all respects. The print is in pristine condition, as it should be, so all the visuals come across unhindered. The visuals do have a dark, washed out presence at times, but that is due to the production design choices. So if the colors seem a tad muted, that is no reason to be concerned, as the hues look as intended. I saw no problems with contrast either, as black levels were refined and never cast a bad shadow. So another new release from Columbia and as usual, another great looking presentation.
Audio: How does it sound?
Columbia doesn’t often issue DTS soundtracks outside of its Superbit line, but this release sports dual 5.1 surround options. I am pleased to have a DTS track in addition to the usual Dolby Digital option, but in this case, there isn’t much to discuss. Yes, the audio is terrific and leaves little room for complaints, but this material isn’t that demanding. In other words, the DTS option isn’t given much room to show off and as such, I think most folks will be a little let down. But even so, I am glad Columbia chose to issue the DTS track here and of course, I hope to see more releases from the studio that follow suit. The elements all sound good here, with no errors to mention and a solid overall experience.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes three brief behind the scenes featurettes, as well as two of the film’s theatrical trailers.
