Monster

Drop-dead gorgeous Charlize Theron made an astonishing physical transformation (30 pounds heavier, splotchy skin, stringy hair) to play leather-hearted truck-stop prostitute and serial killer Aileen Wournos in this riveting, bleak, and exceptionally intuitive biopic. But her real makeover comes from the inside out: you can see every hard mile of Wournos' onerous drifter life in her crotch-scratching trucker stance; in her sour, defensive, curled-lip, snaggle-toothed frown; and especially in her unconsciously despairing black eyes as she simultaneously discovers her own vulnerability (in an affair with a naive, beleaguered young woman played by Christina Ricci) and begins systematically killing her roadside johns after being violently raped. Rookie writer-director Patty Jenkins has an impressive grasp on the film's increasingly desperate mood and emotional complexity, as well as a carefully balanced (but not forgiving) empathy toward her subject. Theron's Oscar-winning performance is the kind of disquieting submergence in a role that comes only with dedication, fearlessness, and real talent. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a 15-minute “making of” featurette, an “Evolution of the Score” interview with director Patty Jenkins and composer BT (15 min.), a “Film Mixing Demo” activity, a soundtrack spot, and trailers. Bottom line: a disappointingly small extras package for one of 2003's most talked about films; most will want to pick up the companion standalone documentary Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer as well.] (R. Blackwelder)[DVD Extras--January 25, 2005--Columbia TriStar, 2 discs, 109 min., R, $24.98--Making its second appearance on DVD, 2003's Monster: Special Edition features the same score featurette and film mixing demo and soundtrack spot, but adds an audio commentary by writer-director Patty Jenkins, producer Clark Peterson and (although, surprisingly, she is not mentioned on the jacket) star and producer Charlize Theron, the 25-minute "making-of" featurette “The Vision and the Journey” (expanding on the original 15-minute version), and five deleted and extended scenes (17 min.) featuring optional commentary and including outtakes of Theron. Bottom line: we're not convinced that the extra 25 minutes (approx.) worth of material warranted a second disc, or that the new extras as whole are worth the upgrade, so if you have the original release, we recommend sticking with that one.]