“Monster’s Ball” is a lot to digest. This drama deals with everything from racism and love to suicide and the electric chair. As a warning, these aren’t just themes that are discussed by the characters - the content is graphic and strong. The film is most notable for Halle Berry’s Oscar-winning performance. Her accent is great and she expresses a wide array of emotions, but I feel that the win was most likely for her realistic acting and willingness to show it all in the adult scenes. Unfortunately, that isn’t quite what I am looking for when I want to enjoy an Oscar-worthy performance on a lazy afternoon. Billy Bob Thornton is the driving force throughout the film but the most noteworthy performance comes from Peter Boyle as the bitter, racist grandfather. All of the actors (including Heath Ledger, Sean Combs, and Mos Def) give inherently sad performances to create the eerily depressing tone that permeates the film. Mentally prepare yourself because there is little to bring joy throughout this slice-of-reality story that graphically shows an execution, suicide, and the saddest burial in funeral history. I don’t know that anybody really enjoys “Monster’s Ball” but its strong acting offers perspective into the unspoken struggles of many people that surround us.
[Pictured: Halle Berry’s broad range of emotions
are vivid from start to finish]
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