Theron plays perfect 'Monster'

Aileen Wuornos - the Floridian serial killer who took the life of six men during the '80s and '90s - is candidly portrayed in the recently released biographical film "Monster." "The little things are what's hard, come to find out the big things we think are really bad really aren't all they're cracked up to be," Wuornos (the amazing Charlize Theron) says in the film. Wuornos is speaking of a ferris wheel she was apprehensive to ride as a child, aptly called the "Monster." Yet, much like her killing spree, she realized the ride "wasn't as bad as she thought once it was finally underway." The film begins with a monologue by Wuornos, confessing her troubled childhood and inner craving for acceptance and love. Neither of course was found, thus leading her to begin "hookin'" (prostitution) at age 13. While contemplating death after one of her routine sexual encounters, she decides to spend her last $5 before offing herself. She stumbles into a bar - coincidentally a lesbian one - and by chance meets Selby Wall (Christina Ricci). This begins a co-dependent relationship, in which Wuornos finds seemingly genuine affection and latches on with a literal death grip. Selby is living in Florida with relatives due to her parents' disapproval of her sexuality, and she is set to return to Ohio and work for her father, when Aileen pleads for her to stay and build a life for the two of them. Little does Selby know, that same night Aileen was "working," and a man, seeking moral vindication, rapes her. This turns out to be one of the most disturbing sexual abuse scenes in recent film history. As the film portrays, Aileen kills the man in self-defense and returns to Selby ready to start anew, leaving her prostitution behind. After watching the relationship between Selby and Aileen unfold, the audience begins to realize that Selby has only experimental feelings for Aileen. Aileen is forced to return to prostitution to support the couple after she realizes her detachment from the merciless business world. Her apprehensive return provides some insight into the mind of a killer. In the killings that follow, the audience sees something in Aileen that has not been apparent until now - fear and hatred. Aileen shoots her male victims and takes their money and car, continuing this method until she unknowingly kills a retired cop in civilian clothes. The police have a lead on Aileen and Selby, which forces the two to separate - revealing Aileen's true love for Selby, and Selby's true love for herself. Aileen is later captured and gives the police a confession of her crimes in order to confirm the innocence of Selby. Selby then delivers a cold-hearted testimony to the court, and Aileen is convicted and sentenced to death. (She was executed Oct. 9, 2002, after 12 years on death row.) The details of the killings and the fate of Aileen are not the prevalent issues in the film. This is history and has been recorded, but the reason for the deaths and the psychological condition of Aileen Wuornos are left to the audience's discretion. Charlize Theron's performance is beyond words. She captures a child-like quality in Aileen, while maintaining the utter brutality of a serial killer. The other actors seem intimidated by her performance and are not worth mentioning. Aileen never found love or compassion throughout her short life, driving her farther from sanity. Aileen's mental state was never considered; she was never looked at as a human, only a "Monster." Grade: A