The Bottom Line
Pros
- Film paints an interesting portrait of a highway hooker turned serial killer
- Movie takes an intriguing look at the seamy side of American life
- Film features strong performances and has evocative music on soundtrack
Cons
- Movie is not particularly visually engaging
- At times film seemed stage-bound and lacked subtlety and complexity
- Some transitions were awkward and pacing was sometimes off
Description
- DVD containing drama "Monster" (2003), inspired by a real-life female serial killer
- Charlize Theron won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in movie
- DVD contains no commentary track, but does provide a 14-minute making-of featurette
- DVD has a 15-minute interview with composer and director about film's score
- Excellent picture and sound quality
- MPAA Rating: R for strong violence and sexual content, and for pervasive language
- Feature run time: 1 hour 49 minutes
- DVD release date: June 1, 2004
Guide Review - "Monster" DVD
Charlize Theron won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in "Monster" (2003), which was inspired by the life of a highway prostitute who murdered several men. Writer-director Patty Jenkins recounts this tale of crime and punishment as a love story with Theron as the serial killer and Christina Ricci as Theron’s character’s lover. I missed seeing "Monster" during its theatrical release, but I don't regret it because this is the kind of movie that plays well on the small screen. However, when I watched it at home on DVD, it felt at times so much like a television docudrama that I was pulled out of the psychological complexity of the story and Theron's performance. Still, I thought the movie was worth watching, and it engaged my interest and emotions most of the time.
The DVD has a 14-minute making-of featurette which gives you a chance to see and hear writer-director Patty Jenkins and lead actress Charlize Theron talk about the movie. The DVD also has a 15-minute feature where Jenkins and composer BT talk about the music on the soundtrack.
However, the bonus materials on the "Monster" DVD are disappointingly skimpy. I recommend this movie only as a rental, and then only because of the feature film's artistic merit. "Monster" is the kind of movie that deserves a DVD with more fulsome special features than this one offers, and I can only hope that such a DVD will be made available someday.
