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Monster (2003 film)
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Monster (2003 film)
Monster is a 2003 American biographical crime drama film written and directed by Patty Jenkins in her feature directorial debut. The film follows serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute who murdered seven of her male clients between 1989 and 1990 and was executed in Florida in 2002. It stars Charlize Theron as Wuornos and Christina Ricci as her semi-fictionalized lover, Selby Wall (based on Wuornos's real-life girlfriend, Tyria Moore).
Monster had its world premiere at the AFI Fest on November 16, 2003. On February 8, 2004, it premiered at the 54th Berlin International Film Festival, where it competed for the Golden Bear, while Theron won the Silver Bear for Best Actress. The film was theatrically released in the United States on December 24, 2003, by Newmarket Films. Monster received positive reviews from critics and achieved box office success, grossing $64.2 million on a $1.5 million budget.
The film received numerous awards and nominations, particularly for Theron's performance, including the Academy Award for Best Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama, the SAG Award for Outstanding Lead Actress, the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress, the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead, and also the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature (Patty Jenkins). Theron's acting has received critical acclaim; film critic Roger Ebert called Theron's role "one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema". The film was chosen by the American Film Institute as one of the top ten films of 2003.
In 1989, after moving from Michigan to Daytona Beach, Florida, and on the verge of committing suicide, street prostitute Aileen "Lee" Wuornos meets a young woman, Selby Wall, in a gay bar. Although Aileen is initially hostile and states that she is not a lesbian, she talks to Selby while drinking beer. Selby takes to Aileen almost immediately and invites her to spend the night with her. The two women return to the house where Selby is staying after being temporarily exiled by her religious parents following an accusation from another girl that Selby tried to kiss her. They later agree to meet at a roller skating rink, and they kiss for the first time. Aileen and Selby fall in love and agree to meet for another date the following evening.
Aileen begins prostituting the following day to make money to take Selby on the date. Towards the end of the day, she is approached by a client, Vincent Corey, who drives them to a wooded area. Aileen becomes uncomfortable by Vincent's bizarre demeanor and avowed hatred for prostitutes. As the two begin arguing, Vincent knocks Aileen unconscious. Meanwhile, Selby waits for Aileen but leaves after she does not show up. Aileen regains consciousness and finds herself tied to the steering wheel, as Vincent brutally rapes and beats her. Aileen manages to free her hands and shoot him to death with a gun from her purse. She disposes of his body, steals his car and decides to quit prostitution. Later that night, she visits Selby at the house and asks her to run away with her. Selby agrees after Aileen confesses her love and promises to support her. The two rent a motel room and try to start a life together. Aileen decides to find qualified work, but because of her lack of education and work experience, she is rejected by potential employers. Desperate to keep herself and Selby financially afloat, Aileen returns to prostitution. She kills her clients and steals their money and cars, each killed in a more brutal way than the last, as she is convinced that they are all rapists and predators. She spares one man out of pity when he admits he has never had sex with a prostitute. While driving one of the stolen cars, Selby crashes into the front yard of a house. The homeowners attempt to call the police, but Aileen manages to drive the car away and dispose of it.
Selby confronts Aileen about the owner of the car, and Aileen confesses to the murders but justifies her actions by claiming she had only been protecting herself. As money runs out, Aileen tries to find another client. She is picked up by a man who genuinely offers her shelter and assistance. Despite her hesitancy, Aileen kills him. Selby sees composite sketches of her and Aileen on the news and returns to Ohio on a charter bus. Aileen is approached at the biker bar she frequents by two men, who unbeknownst to her, are undercover police officers. Thomas, whom Aileen always referred to as the only friend she had, infers the men's intentions and offers to spirit her away from the bar. Aileen misinterprets his offer as soliciting her for services and declines in disgust. The two men eventually lure Aileen out of the bar, and she is arrested by the police. Aileen speaks to Selby one last time while in jail. Selby, through tears, expresses fear of her own fate and culpability, and the viewer learns that she is cooperating with police who are coaching her through eliciting incriminating statements from Aileen. The ploy works, and Aileen admits on the recording that she murdered the men alone, without Selby's involvement, likely despite realizing that she was being recorded and that Selby was betraying her. During Aileen's trial, Selby coldly testifies against her, and she is devastated but understanding. Aileen is convicted of the murders and sentenced to death. On October 9, 2002, Aileen is executed by lethal injection.
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 81%, based on 191 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The site's critical consensus states: "Charlize Theron gives a searing, deglamorized performance as real life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster, an intense, disquieting portrait of a profoundly damaged soul." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 74 out of 100, based on 40 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Monster received highly positive reviews from critics; most gave overwhelmingly high praise to Theron's performance as a mentally unstable woman – Wuornos had antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder. For the role, Theron gained 30 pounds (14 kg), shaved her eyebrows, and wore prosthetic teeth. Critics called her performance, and her makeup, a "transformation". Film critic Roger Ebert named Monster "the best film of the year", gave it four stars out of four, and noted that Theron's role is "one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema":
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Monster (2003 film)
Monster is a 2003 American biographical crime drama film written and directed by Patty Jenkins in her feature directorial debut. The film follows serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute who murdered seven of her male clients between 1989 and 1990 and was executed in Florida in 2002. It stars Charlize Theron as Wuornos and Christina Ricci as her semi-fictionalized lover, Selby Wall (based on Wuornos's real-life girlfriend, Tyria Moore).
Monster had its world premiere at the AFI Fest on November 16, 2003. On February 8, 2004, it premiered at the 54th Berlin International Film Festival, where it competed for the Golden Bear, while Theron won the Silver Bear for Best Actress. The film was theatrically released in the United States on December 24, 2003, by Newmarket Films. Monster received positive reviews from critics and achieved box office success, grossing $64.2 million on a $1.5 million budget.
The film received numerous awards and nominations, particularly for Theron's performance, including the Academy Award for Best Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama, the SAG Award for Outstanding Lead Actress, the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress, the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead, and also the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature (Patty Jenkins). Theron's acting has received critical acclaim; film critic Roger Ebert called Theron's role "one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema". The film was chosen by the American Film Institute as one of the top ten films of 2003.
In 1989, after moving from Michigan to Daytona Beach, Florida, and on the verge of committing suicide, street prostitute Aileen "Lee" Wuornos meets a young woman, Selby Wall, in a gay bar. Although Aileen is initially hostile and states that she is not a lesbian, she talks to Selby while drinking beer. Selby takes to Aileen almost immediately and invites her to spend the night with her. The two women return to the house where Selby is staying after being temporarily exiled by her religious parents following an accusation from another girl that Selby tried to kiss her. They later agree to meet at a roller skating rink, and they kiss for the first time. Aileen and Selby fall in love and agree to meet for another date the following evening.
Aileen begins prostituting the following day to make money to take Selby on the date. Towards the end of the day, she is approached by a client, Vincent Corey, who drives them to a wooded area. Aileen becomes uncomfortable by Vincent's bizarre demeanor and avowed hatred for prostitutes. As the two begin arguing, Vincent knocks Aileen unconscious. Meanwhile, Selby waits for Aileen but leaves after she does not show up. Aileen regains consciousness and finds herself tied to the steering wheel, as Vincent brutally rapes and beats her. Aileen manages to free her hands and shoot him to death with a gun from her purse. She disposes of his body, steals his car and decides to quit prostitution. Later that night, she visits Selby at the house and asks her to run away with her. Selby agrees after Aileen confesses her love and promises to support her. The two rent a motel room and try to start a life together. Aileen decides to find qualified work, but because of her lack of education and work experience, she is rejected by potential employers. Desperate to keep herself and Selby financially afloat, Aileen returns to prostitution. She kills her clients and steals their money and cars, each killed in a more brutal way than the last, as she is convinced that they are all rapists and predators. She spares one man out of pity when he admits he has never had sex with a prostitute. While driving one of the stolen cars, Selby crashes into the front yard of a house. The homeowners attempt to call the police, but Aileen manages to drive the car away and dispose of it.
Selby confronts Aileen about the owner of the car, and Aileen confesses to the murders but justifies her actions by claiming she had only been protecting herself. As money runs out, Aileen tries to find another client. She is picked up by a man who genuinely offers her shelter and assistance. Despite her hesitancy, Aileen kills him. Selby sees composite sketches of her and Aileen on the news and returns to Ohio on a charter bus. Aileen is approached at the biker bar she frequents by two men, who unbeknownst to her, are undercover police officers. Thomas, whom Aileen always referred to as the only friend she had, infers the men's intentions and offers to spirit her away from the bar. Aileen misinterprets his offer as soliciting her for services and declines in disgust. The two men eventually lure Aileen out of the bar, and she is arrested by the police. Aileen speaks to Selby one last time while in jail. Selby, through tears, expresses fear of her own fate and culpability, and the viewer learns that she is cooperating with police who are coaching her through eliciting incriminating statements from Aileen. The ploy works, and Aileen admits on the recording that she murdered the men alone, without Selby's involvement, likely despite realizing that she was being recorded and that Selby was betraying her. During Aileen's trial, Selby coldly testifies against her, and she is devastated but understanding. Aileen is convicted of the murders and sentenced to death. On October 9, 2002, Aileen is executed by lethal injection.
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 81%, based on 191 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The site's critical consensus states: "Charlize Theron gives a searing, deglamorized performance as real life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster, an intense, disquieting portrait of a profoundly damaged soul." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 74 out of 100, based on 40 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Monster received highly positive reviews from critics; most gave overwhelmingly high praise to Theron's performance as a mentally unstable woman – Wuornos had antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder. For the role, Theron gained 30 pounds (14 kg), shaved her eyebrows, and wore prosthetic teeth. Critics called her performance, and her makeup, a "transformation". Film critic Roger Ebert named Monster "the best film of the year", gave it four stars out of four, and noted that Theron's role is "one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema":