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Rating of
2.5/4
"Monster's Ball" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 04/15/2012
A series of (perhaps overly contrived) tragic events bring together an ex-corrections officer and the widow of a man he had a hand in executing in a thoughtful and well-written drama of finding redemption in breaking with the destructive influences of the past. Billy Bob Thornton gives a typically sturdy performance complimented by oscar winner Halle Berry, but it is Peter Boyle's decrepit yet still belligerently obnoxious patriarch that is the scene stealer. Actually, my main gripe lies in the casting of Berry, because as good as she is, and as crucial to the story the infamous sex scene is, having such a strikingly attractive woman involved can only lead to titillation; as a result the scene feels rather like high end porn. The script also reminded me of Crash in that although well …
Rating of
2.5/4
Dark
TheWolf - wrote on 08/03/2007
Monster's Ball wasn't made with a big budget by some very well known director. And to make things "worse", it's controversial as well because the story isn't exactly about a family living together happy with more money than there is water in the sea. And they weren't afraid to put a lot of racism in it, which was necessary to make this movie believable, but for some "politically correct" people, already reasons enough to say they didn't like it.
Berry deservedly won the 2001 Academy Award as best actress for her role as the tragic Leticia. She displays a wide range of emotions from pity to sadness to dispare to ecstacy to happiness. Thornton is equally good as the similarly tragic Hank who goes through much of the same emotional changes. Peter Boyle is also excellent as the bigoted …
