Monster (2003)

I've heard people mention and praise Charlize Theron's performance in Monster a lot of times since I started blogging, so, after putting it off for ages, I finally watched it. 

The film tells the true story of Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron), a Daytona Beach prostitute who was convicted and eventually executed for killing six men. The story begins in 1989 when she meets a young girl, Selby (Christina Ricci), and the two eventually fall in love. One night, things get pretty rough with a John, Aileen kills him to prevent him from raping her and runs away with his money, his car and Selby. She decides to quit hooking and straighten up, find a real job, but she keeps failing at every turn so she goes back out on the street and starts murdering her clients.

The story is a very sordid and unpleasant one. It's the depressing and tragic story of a woman who saw murder as her only way out, which is told in a way that ends up being way more than a story about a serial killer; instead, it's a powerful story that makes you question whether you would do the same thing, making you lose pretty much all faith in humanity and even in yourself in the process. 

As engaging and thought-provoking the plot is, the most compelling aspect of the story easily is the character of Aileen. She is a lost, tortured, damaged soul who suffered all her life. She had an abusive childhood —a victim of sexual abuse— and was rejected pretty much for her entire life. She is so beat up by life, and failed by society, that we kind of understand why she did what she did. The character was of course fictionalized as I doubt Wuornos struggled to kill some of her victims but it doesn't feel wrong as it makes Aileen more human, maybe even worthy of our sympathy. The character of Selby isn't as well developed —she is a lesbian coming from a very strict religious family. Period.— but the contrast between the two women, so different both physically and in their personalities and behaviours, is interesting as well as the characteristics they share: they are both rejected by the world, and both are in a desperate need of being accepted by others for who they are. 

Newmarket Films

Charlize Theron's performance is just as terrific as everyone says. I've seen pictures and videos of the real Wuornos and I can tell she didn't play her, she became her. From her appearance —she gained weight, shaved her brows, wore contact and prosthetic teeth— from her mannerisms, she was Wuornos. What she achieves here is not only her best performance but one of the best performances I've ever seen. Christina Ricci's performance is quite compelling as well as she conveys naivety and seductiveness at the same time very well.

As for filmmaker Patty Jenkins, she is to be praised both for her writing and directing skills. Sure, the script isn't perfect as the supporting character, specifically Selby's, could have used more depth, and it's a bit of a dramatisation; also, at times the film seems to move slow. And yet, she crafted a film that makes us sympathize with a serial killer, a film that does not glorify violence, that is nicely paced for the most and masterfully edited.

Tully (2018)

I watched Young Adult a while back and I didn't love it. It wasn't terrible but I sure didn't find it as good as Jason Reitman's previous movies. In spite of that and the fact that both Young Adult and Tully star Charlize Theron, I decided to give it a chance.

The film follows Marlo (Charlize Theron), a wife and mother of three, including a newborn baby, who is going through postpartum depression and is exhausted of having to take care of the kids all the time. When her brother Craig (Mark Duplass) offers the gift of a night nanny, though reluctant at first, she accepts which brings a young nanny named Tully (Mackenzie Davis) in her home. She and Marlo hit it off immediately and a very unusual relationship develops between the two women.

That's all I'm gonna tell you and all you need to know about Tully's plot. Without spoiling anything, I can tell you that the plot is simple and yet incredibly compelling and captivating and that it has an ending twist that will make you think. Tully's is a realist and intimate story about motherhood that shows how hard, exhausting and even impossible at times can be, but also shows that, ultimately, it is very rewarding. It is a deep and quite uncomfortable portrayal of motherhood.

In addition to that, Tully has character(s) you really care for. While the supporting characters are pretty thin --you barely notice Mark Duplass's Craig, Marlo's brother, and Ron Livingston's Drew, Marlo's husband--, Marlo is one of the most, if not the most interesting character of 2018. She is a woman who is trying to be a good wife to her absent husband and a good mom to her precocious but smart 8-year-old daughter, her quirky 6-year-old son who constantly needs attention --he's probably autistic-- and her newborn that basically cries all the time. She is exhausted, physically and emotionally drained as she also has to deal with her postpartum body that does not recognize as her own. Charlize Theron gives yet another fantastic performance. Not only she physically committed to the role by gaining 50lbs to understand better what Marlo was going through, but she gives such a realistic and haunting performance as Marlo. Everything she does or says, you believe it.

Focus Features

Another great performance comes from Mackenzie Davis. She is terrific as the free-spirited and insightful night nanny Tully, and her vibrant and refreshing presence is a real blast. Also, she shares a wonderful chemistry with Charlize Theron and, with the relationship between Marlo and Tully being the core of the film, it really helps keep the movie going.

Tully is also filled with clever, hilarious and realistic dialogue. Throughout very interesting, it gets even more gripping when it leans into the mundanity of family life. At last, director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody, at their third collaboration, do a wonderful job in balancing the dramatic and humorous aspects of the story. They do an excellent job especially when it comes to finding humour in situations you wouldn't normally find humorous.

Young Adult (2011)

Having loved both Juno and Up in the Air, and having read/heard some pretty good stuff about Young Adult, especially about Charlize Theron, I finally checked it out only to be disappointed. While it's not a terrible film, it's not as good as Jason Reitman's previous movies. 

Once the high school It Girl, Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) is a now a thirty-seven-year-old alcoholic divorcée who writes a young adult fiction series. The series once was a success but now it's been cancelled due to low sales. She is trying to write the last book of the series but she has a block so she decides to return to her childhood city and is determined to win back her high school sweetheart, Buddy (Patrick Wilson). Not even the fact that Buddy is married and has a baby will dissuade her. 

The plot isn't anything we haven't seen before. It's predictable, not very interesting and boring, and it really hurt me to seeing a woman doing that to herself. And the resolution of the story wasn't that satisfactory either. 

The main theme addressed by Young Adult is the same of Reitman's other movies, the unwillingness to grow up. The entire film is shouting it, from the title to the tagline. It's been done a lot of times before and there's nothing in here that elevates the film and makes it stand out. 

Unless there is. Kinda. There are the characters/performances. Mavis Gary is a horrible person. She is a drunk who does not want to grow up. She is egocentric, so immature it's pathetic but at the same time she is so unhappy and unfulfilled you kind of feel sorry for her. She is the kind of woman who tries to conceal all that with makeup, perfect nails, hair and designer clothes, only beauty can't fix her. And Charlize Theron delivers this pathetic character.

Paramount Pictures

That said, the reason I kept watching was Patton Oswalt's Matt Freehauf. He is one of Mavis's high school classmates, notorious for being beaten up and left for dead by a group of popular kids who assumed he was gay. He has been a cripple ever since and lives a sad, quite depressing life with his sister in the city they all grew up. He is a clichéd character who is given a backstory only to make him sympathetic, and yet he is the most interesting thing in the film and that's because of Oswalt's performance. He is simply great both at drama and comedy --the only humour that works in the film comes from him. And the non-so-unexpected relationship that developed between him and Mavis makes the story more interesting.

Watch: Final Trailer For MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

Still looking amazing, the last trailer for George Miller's MAD MAX: FURY ROAD solidifies some story along with the spectacular action. In fact there's what seems to be a clip from the movie in it and it helps to give the movie some skeleton to all the muscle it's been showing.

Can't wait for this!

Here's the movie's storyline:
A apocalyptic story set in the furthest reaches of our planet, in a stark desert landscape where humanity is broken, and most everyone is crazed fighting for the necessities of life. Within this world exist two rebels on the run who just might be able to restore order. There's Max, a man of action and a man of few words, who seeks peace of mind following the loss of his wife and child in the aftermath of the chaos. And Furiosa, a woman of action and a woman who believes her path to survival may be achieved if she can make it across the desert back to her childhood homeland.

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD hits theaters on May 15.

I'm Hooked! New MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Trailer Brings Whole New Level Of Fantastic

Wow. I've been reserved about MAD MAX: FURY ROAD since the beginning. The stunts, explosions, grittiness and story elements I'd seen just wasn't cutting it for me. BUT NOW, after this latest trailer? MM:FR is definitely on my must see in theater list.

You see, I've seen many post-apocalyptic movies and many explosion for the sake of explosion movies. I want to see something I haven't seen before. Up until now MM:FR hadn't shown me anything that excited me to any great extent.

But this trailer... Wow. I think they may actually have a half decent storyline and stunts/action that are necessary to move the plot along. It's not just another yawner! At least I hope it's not.

Here's the movie's storyline:
From director George Miller, originator of the post-apocalyptic genre and mastermind behind the legendary “Mad Max” franchise, comes “Mad Max: Fury Road,” a return to the world of the Road Warrior, Max Rockatansky.

Haunted by his turbulent past, Mad Max believes the best way to survive is to wander alone. Nevertheless, he becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by an elite Imperator, Furiosa. They are escaping a Citadel tyrannized by the Immortan Joe, from whom something irreplaceable has been taken. Enraged, the Warlord marshals all his gangs and pursues the rebels ruthlessly in the high-octane Road War that follows.

Tom Hardy (“The Dark Knight Rises”) stars in the title role in “Mad Max: Fury Road”—the fourth in the franchise’s history. Oscar winner Charlize Theron (“Monster,” “Prometheus”) stars as the Imperator, Furiosa. The film also stars Nicholas Hoult (“X-Men: Days of Future Past”) as Nux; Hugh Keays-Byrne (“Mad Max,” “Sleeping Beauty”) as Immortan Joe; and Nathan Jones (“Conan the Barbarian”) as Rictus Erectus. Collectively known as The Wives, Zoë Kravitz (“Divergent”) plays Toast, Riley Keough (“Magic Mike”) is Capable, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”) is Splendid, and supermodel Abbey Lee is The Dag, and Courtney Eaton is Fragile. Also featured in the movie are Josh Helman as Slit, Jennifer Hagan as Miss Giddy, and singer/songwriter/performer iOTA as Coma-Doof Warrior.

So have a look at the latest and definitely greatest trailer for MAD MAX: FURY ROAD. It's coming in 3D and it looks MEAN. MM:FR opens on May 15.

May Expiration Watch: Breaking It Down (2014)

An interesting mix of titles are expiring this month, which I'll group loosely into three categories:

Not Charlie's Angels

1. GOING TO EXTREMES

In the mood to have your mind bent, broiled, or otherwise contorted into a WTF curlicue? Any one of these films will leave you variously scratching your head, choking on your popcorn, or considering life in a monastery.

Bad Lieutenant (1992)

Abel Ferrara directs Harvey Keitel in this intense tale of a New York cop battling his inner demons in the original Sin City (i.e., NYC in the early '90s).

Deadly Blessing (1981)

Gorgeous 1970s actress Maren Jensen (Athena in the original Battlestar Galactica) in one of only two movies she starred in before leaving showbiz. This one, a creepy horrorfest directed by Wes Craven, co-stars a young Sharon Stone and an old Ernest Borgnine sporting a Quaker beard. (For trivia buffs, Jensen's other starring role was in the even more obscure Beyond the Reef., a.k.a. Sharkboy of Bora Bora.)

The Lair of the White Worm (1988)

Kinky horror madness from the king of extreme himself, director Ken Russell (Tommy, Altered States, Women in Love). Featuring the unlikely cast of Amanda Donohue, Hugh Grant, and (Holy '80s, Batman!) Catherine Oxenberg.

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