‘I always wanted to be in the movies…’
Much was made of Charlize Theron’s Oscar winning performance in Monster, although sadly, most of that noise was focused on her ability to ‘go ugly’ rather than her utterly spellbinding performance. This is to do Theron a grave disservice as this is undoubtedly one of the all time great performances…
Aileen (Theron) is a troubled sex worker who seeks solace in her naive lover Selby (Christina Ricci). Things take a startling turn when Aileen begins murdering her clients in order to fund her lifestyle.
Before we return to Theron and the hideous monster she created for this role, a word too for Christina Ricci who is almost as good in what is almost certainly a career best performance. Ricci is perfect as the innocent, vulnerable yin to Theron’s dead eyed, twitching yang. Together, the two share an incredible bond that ensures that Monster works just as well as a twisted love story than as a profile of a serial killer.
It must be stated again however, just how good Theron is here. Like a wild cat thrust in front of camera, Theron spits and scratches her way through scene after scene with an imposing presence that must have scared the shit out of her co-stars. Absolutely nobody would want to take on this incarnation of Aileen Wuornos, and this is a testament to Theron’s ability to be at once intimidating and incredibly emotionally open. She leaves absolutely nothing on the field. A performance for the ages.
Monster may not quite be a masterpiece, but Theron’s performance is one for the ages.