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Sunday, January 1, 2012

MONSTER - 2003

The film based on the real life events of  convicted and later executed, Aileen Wuornos will leave you wanting to take a very long, hot shower. This American serial killer started off killing men, who had wronged her in some way, and one was based on a brutal rape. She started "hooking" herself at the very young age of 12. Claims she was sexually molested by her grandfather and his friend. As a result of a rape by the former molester, she became pregnant and gave her child up for adoption at age 14.

Charlize Theron, the stunning actress (Young Adult -2011), who portrayed Wuornos and narrated her story did an incredible (understatement) job at slipping into her life of crime and prostitution. In order to look like Aileen, she gained some weight and took on her plain disheveled appearance and demeanor. For me, sometimes it was very hard to look at her transformation. I did not know whether I wanted to hug this abused, drug addicted person or ring her neck for all of the poor choices she made. The only comfort and solace Aileen found was in her lesbian relationship with a girl named, Selby, played by Christina Ricci. Selby was very young and impressionable, who wanted someone to just love and take care of her. Aileen was able to provide for them both, but poorly at that, by her prostitution monies. Later on, Selby would help convict her lover by getting Aileen to confess to her crimes via telephone calls from prison. Selby was then was "let off" by prosecutorial immunity. When Wuornos was convicted of her murderous crimes of seven men between 1989-1990, she was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. 

Wuornos's last words before her execution were "Yes, I would 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 mother ship and all, I'll be back, I'll be back." She was the tenth woman in the United States to be executed since the Supreme Court lifted the ban on capital punishment in 1976,[32] and the second woman ever executed in Florida. She died October 2002. That is our justice system for you,  let's have it go through so many appeals it ends up costing the taxpayers a ton of money, in my opinion. 

This film was written and directed by Patty Jenkins. Her vision of Aileen Wuornos was told with much rawness that will leave a bad taste in your mouth. Winner of 17 movie awards 13 nominations in 2004, it will make you not wonder at all why Ms. Theron won almost all of them, one of which was an award for the Best Breakthrough Performance by an Actress by the National Board of Review. 

I highly recommend this film if you are interested in Criminal Justice or interested criminal psychology or just enjoy a riveting crime drama. At its conclusion, this drama left me feeling somewhat sorry for Wuornos, but felt she deserved the punishment she received.  

Trailer link:



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