Monster's Ball (2002)

The unflinching realism and searing performances of Monster's Ball are stunning in all the connotations of the word. Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) and Leticia (Halle Berry) inhabit stark, queasy realities of the contemporary South, he as a death row corrections officer and she as the soon-to-be widow of an inmate (Sean Combs) whose execution Hank helps conduct. In the aftermath of the execution, both lose their children to tragic deaths and they form an unlikely bond. In the hands of lesser participants, the fateful plot might strain credibility and seem tailored to allow for liberal sermonizing about the obvious wrongs of our legal justice system, but director Marc Forster and cinematographer Roberto Schaefer balance the contentious nature of the film's issues--the death penalty, racism both overt and subtle, interracial couples--with a flawless attention to character and visual detail that completely convinces. The moral ambiguity of both central characters is given full voice as our sympathy is drawn out reluctantly at first but all the more resolutely in the end. Thornton draws from seemingly limitless resources to deliver yet another outstanding performance, but it is Halle Berry who is a revelation as she sustains throughout the complex tenor of brutality witnessed and raw courage defined. --Fionn Meade Amazon.com

Monster's Ball - Take One

It was OK. There were racial slurs against blacks in it and abuse, mental and physical in this movie. Halle Berry played a strong but abusive mother, who treated her kid like he was an evil step child half the time. Billy Bob Thorton lived an empty life and was the cause of his son's death.

With the guilt of that, and Halle's son dying, they both created a comfort space for each other. They talked, related a bit and had sex (it was Halle's idea).

The story drags on in parts though because you see Billy driving his car to certain destinations and it takes forever. Towards the end I was wishing that the movie would end. It did.

3.2 stars.

end note: Is this the kind of movie you can watch more than once? Not in my opinion, no. September 17, 2008

An utterly depressing, but truly unforgettable movie

I was given Monster's Ball absolutely ages ago, but as usual, I have a build up of DVDs and never seem to get around to watching some of them. (Here's an idea - stop buying, start watching!) Then of course there was the death of Heath Ledger, and it never seemed like the right time.

Two days after coming home from a beach holiday, I decided that now was the right time to watch it. I was in the mood, I had plenty of time, the phone wasn't going to ring and there would be no interruptions.

Woah. Straight after watching this movie, I had to stay up and watch something to cheer myself up. Monster's Ball is pretty hard going, particularly the first 30-40 minutes and more after that. But the first part of the movie sucker punches you in the gut and leaves you gasping for air. Oh my god what a movie this was, powerful and disturbing. From Heath Ledger's scenes, to Billy Bob Thornton & Halle Berry doing some terrific acting together, to the diabolical acting from P Diddy/Puff Daddy/Daddy/Diddy/Sean Combs/whatshisface, to the little boy, this film is one of a kind.

It has (had?) two great actors in it - Billy Bob and Heath, two particular favourites of mine. I've never been Halle Berry's biggest fan - I thought she was pretty close to awful in Swordfish - but I'll give her something, she did earn the Oscar for this. Everyone says that Heath can only do one facial expression - but whoever told P Diddy he could act should have been shot. This guy actually believes he can act, but I can think of other actors who would have been better in his role. Thankfully, he's not in it much.

Since part of it is set on Death Row, it's going to draw comparisons to Green Mile, but it's so much grittier than that, it simply cannot be compared.

Heath's short but incredibly intense appearance as the son of Hank (Billy Bob) is full of repressed emotion and built up disappointment, at the same time resenting and seeking his emotionless father's approval. Hank is an almost heartless man, who expects his son to do the same as him and his father before him, but doesn't seem to see that he can't do it. Then he executes a man, and falls for his widow, over chocolate ice cream.

Leticia (Halle) sometimes comes across as a not so well thought through character, but you really feel for her, raising a son without a father, who's been on Death Row for 11 years and now out of appeals (was there a reason given as to why he was on Death Row, or did I miss that?), to her alcoholism, to caring for her son. Halle shone in this role, and reminded me a bit of Charlize Theron's portrayal of Aileen Wournos in Monster, she was that good. Her scenes with Billy Bob were electric, and there's an almost too realistic sex scene between them, which afterwards, they almost seem to poke fun at the constant rumours about Billy Bob's size. (Hubba hubba.)

This film will come highly recommended, but with a strict warning - you will think about the events of this movie long after the credits have rolled, and you will definitely need to watch something to cheer yourself up after it. Under no circumstances watch it when there is a crisis in the family, or when your boyfriend has split up with you or something equally dramatic. June 10, 2008

Could have had a V8

Would have been a good movie if it weren't for that pornographic sex scene which distracted from the plot. It seems like it WAS the basis for the story. I have lost all respect for Halle Berry as an actress. I will acknowledge that she is a great actress, but I will never support her again. As a black woman, I am appalled.

So she had to take her clothes off to get an Oscar? Backwards!! If you want to be taken seriously, Halle, as a black actress, keep your clothes on! Hello, use your brain sometimes and not your body.

I don't think Ms. Halle ever really recovered from the divorces. She is a smart woman, but she's got some screws loose. Especially because Eric Benet told her to take the role, saying "take risks"! What husband that loves and values his wife would tell her to take a role like that? Come on. She has no self-esteem, self-worth, or self-respect. I hope she is ashamed of herself.

So all in all the film itself was "blah". It could have been MUCH better if they focus was more on the plot than them two getting it on. That Oscar was a slap in the face because it showed that is the extreme a black woman has to go to to be recognized. [...] . She just degraded herself to the utmost and can never take it back. Doing a nude scene doesn't automatically warrant being taken seriously. [...]

R.I.P. Heath Ledger June 5, 2008

Disappointing

If you are buying this movie to see Heath Ledger, don't bother. He isn't in it very much. You will be highly disappointed. The same with Halle Berry. Even though she won an academy award for her part, she really isn't in it that much either. Even though Heath and Halle did their parts well, the movie as a whole, was just okay. It isn't something I would care to see more than once. April 10, 2008

Love it or hate it?

The film is very slow moving, realistic and mostly boring except
for sexually explicit scenes and an electrocution. The acting by the leads
is actually very good, but the script writing seems weak and the action very slow. For most people it is a drama that they may miss the point of:
father-son multi-generational interaction, systematic racial
discrimination and the interaction of authority figures with others.
An interracial sexual affair seems to have been what sold this movie to some people? I found myself early wishing it were over... March 28, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...