Anyway, perhaps you've heard of Monster.  It features Charlize Theron in the role that is almost assuredly going to bring home the Oscar(tm) bacon for Best Actress.  In fact, the Masked Reviewer even heard another reviewer say that her performance in Monster was the best acting that anyone has ever done ever.  Wowie.  That's some goooood actin'. 

Charlize Theron certainly fits the bill for winning an Oscar(tm).  She's a very beautiful woman who makes herself unattractive for the role.  Look at Nicole Kidman in The Hours. She wore a fake nose.  Well, not only did Charlize Theron not wear makeup, but she also had in big ugly fake teeth and she must have put on 30 pounds.  We know this because they show her in her underwear, lest you think that she just had on padding.  Padding won't win you an Academy Award(tm)!  Look at Brando.  No padding there.  That's all 100% pure Marlon, baby.

The film is the story of serial killer Aileen Wuornos.  Don't ask the Masked Reviewer how to pronounce that last name, because they wisely never use it in the movie.  The story more-or-less follows the real life carnage of Aileen. 

Christina Ricci (The Addams Family and, of course, The Addams Family Values) co-stars as Selby, the lesbian love interest of Aileen.  Hold the phone!  Did the Masked Reviwer just say lesbian love interest?  How could this not be good?

There are a lot of images in the film that some people will find disturbing (while, undoubtedly, others will also find to be hot).  There's girl-on-girl kissing.  There's brutal rape.  There's murder.  There's Christina Ricci acting.  Just kidding! 

The problem with the movie is that while Charlize Theron does an interesting impression of Aileen Wuornos, the film doesn't dig very deeply into why she does what she does.  Is she crazy?  Is she abused?  Does she like to kill?  Does she kill for love?  The film touches on a lot of these, but doesn't give the viewer a clear idea of why she does what she does.  The character traits are all there (she put on weight and wears bad teeth!) but the motivation isn't clearly explained.  This is only a problem because Charlize Theron is really the entire focus of the film.  Christina Ricci's character doesn't wind up being crucial to the story, though she does bring depth to her character (innocent yet selfish).

If you like movies about serial killers, you might enjoy Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer more.  Or Maniac is a good choice.  Monster is fine, but it misses the most interesting aspect of a serial killer: why they do what they do.  On the other hand, there is brief nudity, so it's not all bad.

Presumably, they chose the name because it is similar to Monster's Ball, for which Halle Berry won an Oscar(tm).  While Halle Berry didn't make herself physically ugly, she did get naked and she did play a woman who wasn't very smart, so Charlize Theron should be a shoe-in.  Also, Charlize Theron uses the "f-word" a fucking lot, which shows that it's a serious movie.

Expectation from the Title: A documentary about the life and times of Grover.  His close friends Harry, Cookie, and Oscar are all interviewed in a film that shows the other side of the star as he battles a lifetime of painkiller addiction and an inappropriate fondness for young boys.

Mother's Rule (Always Say Something Good About Everything):  Charlize Theron looks good with a few extra pounds.  She didn't eat enough before.  So frail.

The Pros: Nudity, girl-on-girl action, and fake billy-bob teeth.  Kind of interesting.

The Cons: Didn't get into the mind of the killer; a good impersonation, but not very deep.  Some people will be put off by graphic depictions of graphic violence.