Is all the hype surrounding Charlize Theron's fierce performance in Monster true? I'd say yes. She is virtually unrecognizable, and really loses herself in the part. But how's the movie itself? Not as powerful as it's lead player.

Monster is based on the true story of Aileen Wuornos, a woman who, after being beaten down by life, realizes that she doesn't have to whore herself to make money. She soon discovers a much easier way to bring home cash; dispose of her tricks and take their wallets. And while things don't necessarily become easier for Wuornos, she is inspired by the love of her life, a sweet, innocent young woman named Selby Wall (played by Christina Ricci).

Monster is both a psychological profile of Wuornos, and a rather unique love story. Clearly, Wuornos was an abused woman, who was never shown any love; and while watching the film, it is plain to see what drove her over the edge. It is the love story that is more compelling. Wuornos claimed that she wasn't gay, but she became enamored by Wall. She was the the only person in Wuornos' life who really took notice of her. So essentially, most of what she does, is to provide for Wall.

Again, Theron is a revelation. It is not simply the outstanding use of prosthetics that make us forget what a beautiful woman Theron is. This is a complete transformation. She acts with every fiber of her body and even her dialect makes us forget who we're actually watching up there on the screen. This is what great acting is all about.

Strangely, my buddy and business partner the Boneman made a really interesting observation. Something that no one else has mentioned and something I probably wouldn't have picked up had he not brought it to my attention. During several scenes in Monster, it's almost as if Theron is channeling Beetlejuice. Her physical twitches, body movements, voice, and even her hair, brought to mind the famed Michael Keaton character. I'm not sure if this was intentional or just a bizarre coincidence, and it takes nothing away from the fact that this is an absolutely gripping turn by Theron and certainly the best of her career - still the Boneman is definitely on to something with this Beetlejuice connection. After all, many actors do take inspiration for certain characters from other sources (it's no secret that Johnny Depp used Keith Richards as a springboard for his character Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Carribean). Whatever the case may be, Theron is fearless in Monster both physically and emotionally.

The Boneman is full of interesting tidbits like this. He also made the observation that if Theron wins the Oscar for Best Actress (and in all probability, she will), it would mark the bizarre coincidence of two African-American women winning this coveted Award in two out of the last three years for a film with Monster in the title.

Ricci on the other hand never quite got there for me. She's a beauty to be sure and she's been outstanding in other movies, but in Monster, I never really bought into her portrayal of a lonely soul who finds what she yearns for in the form of the tortured Wuornos. The contrast is interesting. These two woman are clearly opposites, but they both crave the same thing; love. Ricci was unable to convince me that her need for this union was genuine. She is all but overshadowed by Theron.

Screenwriter/director Patty Jenkins has fashioned a dark, gritty movie and she has good instincts. Her trust in Theron is the key to the movie's power. I personally had issues with the screenplay. Clearly, Jenkins wants us to sympathize with Wuornos, and that didn't always work for me. Wuornos was an abused woman - the fact is indisputable. However, by the end of the movie, I didn't feel sorry for her. At one point in the picture, she points a statement towards a Judge that is supposed to evoke a feeling of sympathy from the audience, but I didn't feel it because throughout her blood-soaked spree she killed totally innocent people. On the other hand, this woman was clearly insane, so I don't know that I necessarily agree with the sentence that was passed down to her.

Monster certainly has moments of power, and it strives hard in it's depiction of what makes this disturbed woman tick. It also presents a most unique love story. As I watched it, I was reminded of David McNaughton's Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. In that particular film, the killer's motives were far from clear, and that made it all the more eerie. Jenkins is clearly interested in humanizing Aileen Wuornos by giving us insight to her troubled past, and to an extent she's succeeded. Her Monster is a good movie, but I wouldn't call it the grand piece of art that most are proclaiming it to be.