Monster

First time filmmaker Patty Jenkins has crafted a film that attempts to give us a reason behind the acts of real serial killer Aileen Wuornos. In doing so she has accomplished two things. First, she has strayed from what is already known about Aileen and her motivations, as many critics of the film have pointed out in the years since it was released. She has also humanized a woman who, in reality, had little of her humanity left by the time she was captured and sentenced to death for the murders of seven men. Patty isn’t making a documentary here, though, but creating a narrative, loosely built on facts, to offer up a study on not only what makes a “Monster” but what the public perceives to be one. The title offers up that perception as well as the central theme of Patty Jenkins’s work here. 

The film begins with Aileen (Charlize Theron) before any of the killings have happened. She is depressed, suicidal, and we get just the barest glimpse of her life before the main events of the movie. We see her first encounter with Selby Wall (Christina Ricci), a shy and sheltered lesbian who desperately needs someone to be her friend, or even just to talk to her. At first Aileen rebuffs her, assuming Selby is looking for a romantic partner, but agrees to keep her company so long as Selby buys her beer. This encounter will lead to the two moving in with each other, driving a rift between Selby and her overbearing parents. Aileen tries to find legitimate work but, when that fails, has to fall back on prostitution to afford food and board. When one of her clients attempts to rape and murder her, she kills the man. This will eventually lead to more murders and theft, something that Selby is appalled to find out about; yet she stays with Aileen as things get more and more unhinged.

Charlize Theron was celebrated for her portrayal as Aileen, getting the Oscar, a Golden Globe, a SAG Award and a BAFTA nomination. Watching her here it is easy to see why. Anyone not aware of who the actress is behind the makeup would be hard pressed to figure it out. Theron disappears into this role and not just behind the makeup. It is in her every movement. She is a woman uncomfortable in her own skin and it shows in her nervous ticks, the way she waves her arms about, grabs at her hair, even the way she holds her cigarette like a teenager trying to look cool in front of her peers. There is nothing artificial in this performance and she deserved all the praise she got for it.

Lesser acknowledged is Christina Ricci as Selby. In some ways this is the trickier role to nab. Selby (a fictionalized version of the real life Tyria Moore) is a woman desperate to be seen. In her first scene she is sitting alone in a bar. Another patron approaches her table and asks if the opposite seat is taken. Selby gets her hopes up only to have them dashed when it turns out the other woman is only interested in taking the seat back to her own table. When Aileen shows up, looking just as lost and unwanted, Selby takes a chance and introduces herself and, despite Aileen’s temper, Selby is so alone that she grasps onto this attention, negative as it is, and stays. This desperation for companionship will serve as the primary reason Selby keeps with Aileen even after finding out about the murders. Selby is so nervous, shy, lonely and confused and Ricci balances these all with aplomb. It’s a heartbreaking performance that was so understated that it went under the radar when award nominations were being given out. It’s not a flashy performance but it is effective.

Monster was highly regarded as a film in most critic circles but it did have its detractors. The biggest complaints were on the character of Aileen herself. Had this film been merely inspired by the murderer and not based on her true story then this would be a moot point. This film is not passing itself off as merely being inspired by the case, though. By using the real person as the central character, then giving her a motivation for killing the men she does, it paints the real life Aileen in a far more sympathetic light than the real Aileen deserved. Her defense was that she was defending herself when the reality wasn’t quite so black and white. The only instance where the film really gives us no possibly reason to sympathize with her decisions is in her final killing, that of a man who has no interest in taking advantage of her and is just trying to offer her help. When this happens there is no more sympathy for her actions and she ceases to be a pitiable character.

Those knowing the true events of Aileen’s life will know where this film will end. The final moments are both cathartic and heart wrenching. The exact level of culpability Selby shares with Aileen is left for us to decide. We never get her final fate in the film and, as she’s only a stand-in for the real woman involved, we cannot assume the same fate happened to her.  The facts and the film do not run parallel and we’re left to speculate if Selby did any time for her role or got off on a plea deal. We do know she testifies against Aileen and never speaks to her again but this is all handled in shorthand via a montage of court proceedings. The only resolution we get between them is in a phone call while Aileen is in prison, a phone call Selby makes with the police listening in in the same room. It’s emotional, full of tears, but also an attempt by Selby to get Aileen to shift all the blame onto herself and exonerate Selby of any wrongdoing. This moment is a knockout and could have served as an Oscar reel for either actress.

As a true story this film falls a bit short. As a dramatic film about a woman kicked down by society, driven to prostitution and murder, it is marvelous and riveting. Theron and Ricci are both superb in roles that are very different but equally challenging. The makeup work to change Theron into Aileen is first rate and the nuance Ricci delivers here is truly fascinating to watch. Aileen is sympathetic at first but slowly forces us to acknowledge that what she is doing is not justified anymore. We understand why she is the way she is but we can’t be on her side. She begins the film as a monster in the eyes of those around her. By the time she gets arrested she has become an actual monster.  

Release Date: December 24, 2003

Running Time: 109 Minutes

Rated R

Starring: Charlize Theron and Christina Ricci

Directed By: Patty Jenkins