Feature

Theron's performance is breathtaking.

An outstanding, moving and unforgettable film.

Riding on the Oscar win for its lead actress Charlize Theron, Monster, the story of serial killer Aileen Wuornos, is opening in cinemas around the country tomorrow. Wuornos is one of life's damaged people. Disillusioned about life and the men who pick her up on the highways of Florida for sex, she's suicidal when she meets Selby Wall (Christina Ricci), a young woman who's been sent to stay with her aunt in Miami in a vain attempt to cure her homosexuality. After a rocky start the two connect, it's a relationship that will have a profound impact on Wuornos' life. Although she tries to get a real job Wuornos is forced back on the road as a prostitute to get money. When one of the johns who picks her up becomes violent she kills him, and then it starts to become a habit.

Wuornos gave the rights to her correspondence from death row to first time writer/director Patty Jenkins shortly before she was executed. The screenplay has an authentic ring to it, particularly when combined with Theron's portrayal of Wuornos, it is not just a matter of make-up, it's a simply stunning transformation, she's completely convincing. The film as a whole is not an apologia for Wuornos, it's more a tragic love story. Full credit to Jenkins for her achievements with this film, it's been intelligently and non-sensationally directed. I was so impressed with this film. It's a tough one, but a good one.