SHSU Student Choice: Ray
“Ray” is a touching story of an extraordinarily talented artist whose pervasive addictions often overwhelmed his judgment and genuine affection for his family, friends, and fans. Jamie Foxx was given the majority of the credit for the success of the film, which is appropriate since he is continuously thrust at the center of an inescapable trap of despair and discouragement. The biggest flaw in “Ray” may be its relentlessly pessimistic view of this great artist as a person, but it is overall triumphant in its assessment of a person whose existence was praised by those who were unaware of the troubles that clouded his ability to admire his unique and grand existence.
Critic’s Choice: Monster
Because of its uncompromising realism and dark subject matter, “Monster” would seem painfully difficult to watch, but the empathy exhibited by the film toward a tragic life makes the experience exceptionally moving. The humanity of Aileen Wuornos is embodied by Charlize Theron in all of its forms, including its unblinking illustration of the extreme and sudden violence that made her infamous. The transformation by Theron exemplifies the degenerated hopes and shattered dreams of this emotionally unstable individual that began at birth and were mercifully and preemptively ended at death.
The story follows Wuornos, the first reported female serial killer in American history, in her final efforts to stave off the unforgiving demons that have shaped her life from its inception. She has recently been released from prison and is continuing her work as a female prostitute. As she simultaneously looks from possible clients and drinks away her sorrows, she meets Selby (Christina Ricci) and an immediate, unmistakable, and awkward connection arises. The remainder of “Monster” will illustrate a painful rape by one of her clients that leads to a murder and, essentially, to the devastation of the remainder of her life.
There is a moment at a roller skating rink between Wuornos and Selby that is poignant, soulful, and heartbreakingly honest. “Don’t Stop Believin'” is playing in the background as the two women quickly become lost in each other’s eyes. Their stares are piercing and the passion displayed is obvious. For a brief moment, the audience begins to have the feeling that maybe Wuornos possibly can turn this whole life around into a positive journey of overcoming obstacles. But then the audience recoils, quickly realizing that the things that have come before cannot be undone and the damage inflicted upon her will no doubt lead to other casualties. This entire sequence is brilliantly done and is simply a dream sequence surrounded by a perpetual nightmare from which Wuornos can never escape.
“Monster” argues that Wuornos was never given a chance. As a child, she was kept in the backyard and treated like a dog and she acted accordingly, like an animal whose primal instincts overtook any thought process or humane disposition. She had very few ways to go after her abusive childhood and none of them were positive. Because of this, Wuornos always feels like an outsider in this world, continuously coveting just a glimpse of normalcy. She attempts to interact with people but always tends to fail miserably, simply sending her into another cycle of self-destruction.
“Monster” forces the audience to look at our prejudices and preconceived notions about criminals and demonstrates the belief that people’s monstrous actions do not define them as inhumane. The film does not excuse any of Aileen Wuornos’s behavior but does its best to explain it. Aileen Wuornos was responsible for terrible acts because she was influence by awful people, dating all of the way back to her childhood. The biggest accomplishment of “Monster” is that it turns incomprehensibly evil acts into ones that become understandable without ever losing its universal moral compass.
