MONSTER has the absurdly stunning Charlize Theron hide everything but her scorching talent under thirty packed-on pounds and skank makeup, unleashing one of the hands-down All Time Best portrayals in movie history. There: said it.  Absolutely flawless work, and shes’s helped by having a terrific partner in Christina Ricci, with a keenly picked supporting cast of creeps: when Bruce Dern is the nicest guy in the bunch you know you’ve wandered into Oozeburg, population unlimited.

True (ish) story of prostitute/victim/killer Aileen Wournos is shrewdly written & directed by Patty Jenkins, who obsessed on this subject and project for a decade, and then shot it at the real, raw locales haunted by Wournos.  The 109 minute drama was filmed in a lightning 28 days. This is not a movie to gather the family for to relax with after Thanksgiving.

Theron seized the Best Actress Academy Award for 2003.  With gripping bits from Pruitt Taylor Vance and Scott Wilson.

Pruitt Taylor Vance: desperation and pity