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Monster is a 2003 film about the life of female serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a former prostitute who was executed in 2002 for killing seven men in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The role of Aileen Wuornos was played by South African actress Charlize Theron, and her lover Selby Wall was played by Christina Ricci. (Wuornos' lover's name was actually Tyria Moore, but her character's name, age, and appearance in the film were changed for legal reasons.) The film was written and directed by Patty Jenkins. Much of Theron's preparation for the role is credited to Nick Broomfield's 1992 documentary, Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer, which Theron reportedly watched clips of between takes.
Characters
PlotSpoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
After moving to Florida, prostitute Wuornos meets Selby in a bar. Selby likes Aileen almost immediately; she likes that Wuornos is very protective of her, even though she notices that the older woman is severely disturbed. They have a small encounter at a roller rink and quickly become committed to one another, and move into a small apartment together. It becomes hard to pay the bills, so Wuornos tries to find legitimate work. This is not an easy task; she has no qualifications, is uncultured, and has a very bad temper, which she often displays during job interviews. Desperate for money and resentful of the men who come to her for sex, she commits several murders, each more brutal than the last, robbing her victims after killing them. The once naïve Selby cooperates with authorities to capture Wuornos to avoid prison and becomes the prosecution's star witness. Wuornos actually asks Selby to testify against her, since it will help convince the authorities to let Selby escape punishment.
Spoilers end here.
AcclaimAn overwhelming majority of film critics praised Monster. Most gave especially high praise to Theron's performance as the protagonist and her boldness in taking the role of an unattractive, mentally ill woman. For the role, Theron gained 30 pounds and wore prosthetic teeth. Ricci's performance was also heavily acclaimed, and Theron thanked Ricci during her Oscar acceptance speech. Many critics called her performance (and her makeup in the film) a "transformation" [1]. The film won Theron the Academy Award for Best Actress, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama and the SAG Award. Some critics, while priaisng Theron's performance, nevertheless noted the inherent unfairness of the Oscar process: when a beautiful person volunatrily becomes ugly for a role, she is given an Oscar nod.[citation needed][dubious — see talk page]
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