Never Seen It! Sunday: Monster

You know when someone asks if you’ve seen their favorite movie and say you seen “parts of it” because you don’t want to seem like a total pop culture pariah? Yeah, we do too—and we hate ourselves for it! That’s why every other week, we’ve vowed to watch at least one movie we’ve put off, ignored, rejected or just plain-out forgotten about. Join us as recount the popping of our cinematic cherries, complete with awkward, over-analytical details!
Photo: impawards.com
MONSTER


DATE RELEASED: December 17, 2003
DATE WATCHED: November 26, 2011
WHY NOW? My sister wanted to. So, seeing as Charlize Theron won an Academy Award, Golden Globe and SAG award for her performance in it, I said sure. Plus, it seems like she's got a big year ahead with Young Adult out this Friday, and Snow White & the Huntsman and Prometheus on the way.
WHY NOT THEN? I remember all the talk about her make-up "transformation," from the glamourous red carpet gal to a homeless prostitute (much like they talked about Nicole Kidman's nose in The Hours, which I also haven't seen). But as a young teen, a drama about a hooker-turned-serial killer was just too much drama for me. I was watching X2 and Dreamcatcher and Kill Bill instead. (I also missed another brilliant drama, Cold Mountain, that year too.)
EXPECTATIONS:

• Charlize as the best I've ever seen her. (Mind you, I haven't seen her in much. But I have seen The Cider House Rules.)
• Slow drama that builds into intense moments, but for the most part, crawls along.
• A disturbing, true story.
• Not much else. After all, it took eight years to convince me to see it.

WHAT I ACTUALLY GOT...

• Charlize as the best I've ever seen her. Actually, the best female lead performance I've maybe ever seen. It was disturbing and discomforting, and it was just perfect.
• Christina Ricci at the one of the best I've ever seen her, though truthfully I haven't seen her in enough.
• A disturbing, only somewhat-true story. "Based on a true story" is really just a marketing ploy. As far as facts go, it's about a prostitute who becomes a murderer. Otherwise, her back story is different, her love story is different and how it all plays out is different. Perhaps "based on a true character" is a better way of putting it. After you've seen this film, check out some videos of the real Aileen Wuornos. Charlize her down pat.
• A slowly crawling drama that is not at all boring. It's impossible to turn away as you watch Charlize's character spiral into insanity. It's a psycho-social case study gone way wrong.

ONE NIGHT-IN STAND OR SECOND DATE POTENTIAL?I'll probably see this one again, but not any time soon. It's too much drama for a soon second viewing, but in a few years, I may have to revisit it. (By the way, don't watch the trailer if you don't want any spoilers. And trust me, you don't.)