The Making of a 'Monster'

Usually beautiful and stunning, the blonde actress who portrays the "Monster" is unrecognizable; she is an unkempt, unattractive mess of a woman.

With an reported additional 20 to 30 pounds packed on and a load of transforming makeup (or makedown, rather) Charlize Theron ("The Italian Job," "The Legend of Bagger Vance") morphs into Aileen Wuornos in the film, "Monster."

Written and directed by Patty Jenkins, the film focuses on the life of the real-life prostitute and serial killer, who admitted to the murders of six men. Christina Ricci ("Buffalo '66," "Anything Else") plays Selby Wall, a fictionalized character loosely based on Wuornos's real-life companion, Tyria Moore.

Aileen is volatile, aggressive and angry, yet yearns for compassion. She relies on her foul mouth and tough exterior to get her through her hard life. However, her love for Selby reveals her hidden sensitivity.

Selby is the polar opposite of Aileen. She comes from a religious family who is trying to "cure" her of her homosexuality. She is a loner and a misfit, like Aileen, and this bonds the two women.

Set in Daytona Beach, Fla. in the mid 1980s, the film examines the circumstances leading up to Wuornos's killing spree.

As the film begins, Aileen is shown as a child. Wuornos narrates her childhood desire to be in the movies and live a fairy tale life, complete with Prince Charming and the white horse. As the montage unfolds, the images contradict her naive sentiments. Wuornos is shown as a child with bruised eyes, unloved and uncared for, evolving into a young woman flashing boys for money.

Aileen's natural progression leads her to become a full-fledged prostitute, suggesting that she has been left with no other choice.

Present-day Aileen is ready to commit suicide on the side of the road but resists. When she meets Selby, her suicidal tendencies melt away. Selby and Aileen experience the kind of fairy tale love Aileen yearns for. Love unfurls itself as the two hold hands while skating and laughing in a roller rink.

Trying to make money for her new girlfriend, Aileen picks up a customer who savagely beats and rapes her, obviously intending to kill her. She escapes and uses his gun to kill him. Afterward, Wuornos lets out a primal, gut-wrenching scream. This murder is a burden at first, but becomes a catharsis of Aileen's pent-up rage at the world and men, in particular.

Using the dead man's money, Aileen convinces Selby to run away with her, and Selby agrees. Aileen feels added pressure to support Selby in order to hold on to her. After an embarrassing attempt at getting a straight job, she falls back into prostitution and into the pattern of killing and robbing customers.

Theron does a remarkable job of not only looking the part, but truly encompassing Wuornos. Where other actresses might only see a monster, Theron finds the humanity in a killer. She shows the fear in Aileen and makes the killer accessible. Even her drawl, along with her ticks and jitters, portrays an awkwardness that shows her vulnerability.

While Aileen's downward sneer, reminiscent of Al Pacino's permanent scowl in "Scarface," is excessive, every other mannerism works well to put together all of the pieces of Aileen.

Ricci's portrayal of Selby is, however, not as engaging. She encompasses the girl's loneliness wonderfully at first, but transforms as the movie progresses, growing more selfish and demanding of Aileen. At times, her portrayal is downright annoying, like her whines to Aileen over their lack of resources.

The love scenes between the two are clumsy yet tender, accentuating the reality of their courtship. As the two women passionately kiss, their raw emotion and desperation to cling on to each other is apparent.

A theme throughout the movie seems to be the Normals and the Street People. Selby's guardian warns her to stay away from street people like Aileen. Aileen tries to become a normal member of society as society labels her an outcast.

Jenkins does not attempt to align Wuornos' behavior with that of a monster. Instead, she examines how Aileen was able to justify her behaviors to herself. By revealing the honest layers of the human condition, both Wuornos and Theron are truthfully - and painfully - exposed.