Film Review: Monster's Ball

That film with Halle Berry's Oscar winning performance

We all know life can be complicated, and in Monsters Ball life gets mighty complicated for Hank Grotowski (Billy Bob Thornton) and Leticia Musgrove (Halle Berry). Hank is a macho, racist, prison guard part of the team that executes Leticia's estranged husband (Puff Daddy). Some time later, after much personal tragedy, these two damaged people begin an unlikely relationship.

Monsters Ball is a remarkable American film. Essentially a love story, but tackling issues such as race, sexuality, and poverty in a subtle, laid back style. Thornton in a typical outsider role is superb, Berry sparkles as the down trodden but proud Leticia.

This is Swiss director Marc Foster's third film and his relative inexperience shows, as the plot is painfully slow moving, unbelievable, and full of gaps.

However, Thornton and Berry keep it together, producing a film, like their characters, damaged, flawed, but winning.

Kevin Smith