Talent (10)

Roger Ebert has called Theron's turn in Monster, "...one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema". While some may think his remark an overstatement, there is no question that this is one of the finest screen performances in recent years. Theron uses her eyes, facial expressions and body language brilliantly and adds some wonderful vocal inflections to her performance. She also comes up with several specific mannerisms used throughout the film to help create this unique character. And search as you may, you will be all but unable to find the beautiful Theron underneath the dark, desperate persona she creates. What she accomplishes is both a performance and a transformation, the latter achieved with only minimal makeup and tricks.

Theron gained 30 pounds for this role, perhaps the key factor in her remarkable permutation. One can readily see just how much difference the weight made by looking at the included featurette The Vision and the Journey found in the DVD Special Features (reviewed in more detail on page 4). Just compare her appearance during her 2002 research trip to Florida with how she looks in the interviews-the difference is profound. Theron also relied on dark brown contact lenses to mask her normal eye color and create the effect of looking into two black pools. Finally, special makeup was applied to give her skin a sun-blotched look and dental appliances were used to mirror Wuornos' poor dental hygiene. This is definitely a powerhouse career-altering performance and for once the hype and the reality are one and the same.

Not to be overlooked (although she was by the Academy) is Christina Ricci's fine performance as Selby. She brings a vulnerability to the role of a young woman who is trying to find her way in life. Roger Ebert says that Ricci, "finds the correct note for Selby Wall -- so correct some critics have mistaken it for bad acting, when in fact it is sublime acting in its portrayal of a bad actor."

One scene in which Ricci perfectly captures Selby's personality occurs when she goes out alone while Lee sleeps in. In order to impress some new friends she borrows an experience Lee had involving a confrontation with a potential employer, but makes herself the hero of the story. She simply wants people to like her and she doesn't seem to care why they do.

Other notables in the film are Bruce Dern in a small role as Tom (Lee's only friend) and Pruitt Taylor Vince as a "John" whom Lee first plans to kill but ultimately takes pity on. Interestingly, Dern's character (who is a composite of several people the real Wuornos is said to have befriended) ends up being somewhat ambiguous. He helps Lee throughout the film, but when he sees a news report about a possible female serial killer in the Daytona Beach area, he is shown scurrying away as if he wants to talk to someone. However, later he tries to get Lee to jump a fence behind the Last Resort to avoid an undercover Police capture. Perhaps he turned Lee in for a reward and had second thoughts? In any event, this is a first rate cast.

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