I saw "Monster" Today; Very Disturbing and Sad Film

[Kathy in Cambridge]

It reminded me somehow of "Midnight Cowboy", only this was Aileen Wuornos' life and not fiction. It was disturbing in that you couldn't help but feel bad for her yet she murdered seven men (one I believe deserved his fate, but I don't want to spoil the movie for everyone). There are some scenes that are painful to watch and Charlize Theron's performance is brilliant.

[Skittles]

1. society treated Aileen like trash her whole life and then killed her

pretty damning stuff

[Kathy in Cambridge]

6. Exactly, Skittles. She Had a Nightmarish Upbringing, Which

they barely touched upon in the movie. I read that her mother abandoned her as an infant. Her father was a convicted child molester who committed suicide in prison. She was raised by her grandparents. Her grandfather sexually molested her. She got pregnant at 13 and was forced to give up her child. She was tossed out of the house and supported herself through prostitution. What chance did she ever have for a normal life?

It doesn't absolve her from murdering seven men, but it sure as hell explains a lot.

[Ilsa]

9. She didn't pull herself up by her bootstraps,

instinctively knowing the right way to do everything in life like Nancy Raygun?

[Kathy in Cambridge]

13. I don't think Nancy Raygun was abused like this woman

and to boot I've been looking at some websites and she may have gotten an unfair trial.

[Skittles]

20. she had one sibling - a brother

who died of cancer at age 20. I blubbered when I heard that in her bio.

[HuckleB]

2. Thanks. Interesting take, comparing it to Midnight Cowboy.

We're not ready to see it yet, I guess. I went to see "The Triplets of Belleville" a second time last night (my wife hadn't seen it yet). That would be a wonderful way to balance things a bit.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

8. Dying to See "The Triplets of Belleville"

I heard it's great...

[HuckleB]

11. It's awesome.

My wife couldn't stop talking about last night.

I dunno. I just get the feeling that we'll walk out of Monster the way we walked out of Kandahar. Glad we saw it, but feeling pretty beat up. We balanced that with a viewing of About A Boy. An expensive day, but ...

[Kathy in Cambridge]

14. Yes, "Monster" made me feel depressed and uneasy

but sometimes good movies do that to you...

I think I'm going to rent a comedy tomorrow...

[Kathy in Cambridge]

15. Dupe

Dupe

[gator_in_Ontario]

3. I am from Florida

and followed the story the whole way along. It is my "must see" for the weekend. I have seen clips, and Charlize looks spookily like her. Are we talking Oscar quality perhaps?

[Kathy in Cambridge]

4. Absolutely. Her performance made me cry-I'm not a crier

[jonnyblitz]

5. I have to see this movie.

thanks for your review. :hi:

[Kathy in Cambridge]

7. It was PAINFUL, jonny.

really hard to watch in spots...

[jonnyblitz]

10. you should have seen 'Elephant" by Gus Van Sant

It won the Palme d'Or at last years Canne's Film festival. It's losely based on Columbine. Talk about disturbing..I saw it last week at some arthouse theater near Brown University in Providence.

check it out:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363589/


I like movies that affect and disturb you....

[HuckleB]

12. Yes, Elephant is very good.

It shocked the heck out of the audience at the premier audience in Portland, mostly monied folk who paid big bucks to hear Van Sant speak beforehand at the Schnitz. It's even more bizarre to me, perhaps, as I spent some time working in the school where it was filmed.

[jonnyblitz]

16. I can't explain to you why it was so disturbing to me

Probably because it had such a nonchalant air about it for the subject matter and then it just abruptly ended...I can't imagine too many people liking it but I know I certainly did.

WOW that must be strange that you used to work in that school.

[Melsky]

17. Thanks for the review

I am going to see this one

[DoctorBombay]

18. Just saw it today...

Theron was just incredible. I, too, was sympathetic to her character. The middle dragged a bit, got repetetive, but that happens often in the second act.

I usually wait to see how much a film sticks with me, but this feels like it will, which will make me think even higher of it.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

19. It's Sunday, and it's still sticking with me

watching that movie made me feel thankful for what I have. Seriously.

[Lindsey]

21. I saw it a couple of weeks ago

and imho the performance by Charlize Theron is the best performance EVER by an actor or actress. In fact, in their annual review, Reoper and Ebert said that the performance was like it was being channeled. Ebert rated Monster as the #1 movie of the year. It was so disturbing on so many levels - but is an absolute MUST SEE. It truly shows how this kind of thing happens. An absoulutely devastating film....

[Maddy McCall]

22. Is it in theatres or on HBO or other cable channel?

I have been outta the loop. Where is it showing? Thanks.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

23. It's in theatres-probably your local arthouse/indy cinema

definitely worth seeing!

[jonnyblitz]

24. lucky you lives in the land of indieflicks.

I bet you saw it at that theater near the church we saw Al Franken at in Harvard SQ. Or the Brattle or Kendall Sq. LOL..did i leave any out? I will probably have to go to Hartford, New Haven, or Providence.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

25. Somerville Theatre and the Arlington Capital

show indie films also, and the Harvard Film Archive has film series that focus on a paricular genre or country.

I know, poor me...

;-)