E: My Documents Women Behave Bad Aileen Wuornos

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Monster BY CALVIN WILSON Post-Dispatch 01/16/2004

Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron) looks like the proverbial 10 miles of bad road. Her face is blotchy, her torso is bloated, and her stringy hair seems to have surrendered any dreams of glamour long ago. Not that Wuornos, a street prostitute, would have much use for glamour.

Wuornos has been damaged psychologically and spiritually, and as "Monster" begins, she's resigned to her life on society's fringes. That changes slightly when she falls in love with Selby (Christina Ricci), a troubled, needy runaway. But, ultimately, Wuornos can't avoid her fate, Charlize Theron as Aileen which is to become one of the most famous serial killers in American Wuornos in 'Monster.' (Newmarket) history - not to mention one of the few women to claim that title. Written and directed by Patty Jenkins, "Monster" is the quietly disturbing tale of a basically decent woman who gives in to despair and misplaces her moral compass. Brutally beaten and threatened with murder by a man she thought only wanted sex, she shoots him dead. But it doesn't end there. Before long, she's killing just about every man who lets her into his car.

All the while, Wuornos is desperate to maintain her relationship with Selby. It's the one good thing in her life, and it gives her hope. Their scenes together lend the film a gritty poignancy, even though it's all too obvious that the relationship is doomed.

Much has been made of the physical transformation that Theron, one of the most attractive women in film, underwent to play Wuornos. But there's far more going on here than an impersonation or an attempt at histrionic grandstanding.

Theron convincingly gets inside the head of a deeply traumatized woman who can't stop herself from lashing out violently, regardless of the consequences. A scene in which Wuornos submits to a humiliating job interview - and responds like a cornered wildcat to the smug put- downs of the man behind the desk - is, in its own way, almost as violent the killings.

In some ways, Ricci has the trickier role. Selby has to be sympathetic so we can understand why Wuornos would be attracted to her. But Selby is also a survivor who will do whatever is necessary to save her own skin. Ricci, who was so good as a crafty manipulator in "The Opposite of Sex," is more than up to the task. And her chemistry with Theron contributes mightily to the film's aura of authenticity.

"Monster" refuses to portray Wuornos as a mere victim. Her crimes are acts of cold-blooded horror, and Jenkins doesn't let her off the hook. But she also refuses to deny the humanity of the woman with the gun.