Monster is a scary film. There is this prostitute who starts killing her customers. Now that is not just bad for business. And it was. What is even more bad for business is that she has this lesbian lover. And what is scary is that this film is based on a true story. Aileen Carol Wuornos was eventually executed for the seven known murders she committed and was celebrated by the media as the first major female serial killer.

This is essentially a vehicle for Charlize Theron to make her mark in filmdom. She will certainly be remembered for this film. Generally a Goddess, Ms. Theron re-did her body and her mind to become a ferocious person. A transformation that is both engrossing and distracting. You watch the film not so much about Aileen but you watch the film to marvel Ms. Theron’s transformation, her determination and her recovery. She eventually achieved what she wanted when she won the best actress Oscar.

Patty Jenkins does direct this with a lot of heart but eventually falls into a trap that seems to be tailor made for all such movies. Hate the crime not the criminal. The criminal was made via an unjust society. This point of view while probably true is still not very entertaining. Sympathy for a smart devil is fine but a stupid one? That’s a stretch.