Monster's Ball

Buy This Item Monster's Ball by Lions Gate  Available from Amazon  $9.98  on 9-23-2008     The unflinching realism and searing performances of <I>Monster's Ball</I> are stunning in all the connotations of the word. Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) and Leticia (Halle Berry) inhabit stark, queasy realities of the contemporary South, he as a death row corrections officer and she as the soon-to-be widow of an inmate (Sean Combs) whose execution Hank helps conduct. In the aftermath of the execution, both lose their children to tragic deaths and they form an unlikely bond. In the hands of lesser participants, the fateful plot might strain credibility and seem tailored to allow for liberal sermonizing about the obvious wrongs of our legal justice system, but director Marc Forster and cinematographer Roberto Schaefer balance the contentious nature of the film's issues--the death penalty, racism both overt and subtle, interracial couples--with a flawless attention to character and visual detail that completely convinces. The moral ambiguity of both central characters is given full voice as our sympathy is drawn out reluctantly at first but all the more resolutely in the end. Thornton draws from seemingly limitless resources to deliver yet another outstanding performance, but it is Halle Berry who is a revelation as she sustains throughout the complex tenor of brutality witnessed and raw courage defined. <I>--Fionn Meade</I> Reader Reviews The recent untimely death of actor Heath Ledger prompted me to take a look at the films in which he has appeared. That search led me to "Monster's Ball"....an early Ledger film from 2001. It's a tour de force with Halle Berry leading an excellent cast. Though Ledger appears relatively briefly, his character plays an integral role in the drama and he does a superb job. A chance encounter with deep consequences between Berry (Leticia) and Billy Bob Thornton (Hank) turns the racial divide on its ears in the modern-day south. Both have loved ones who die tragic deaths and while their connections take time to unravel, the film plays out in a masterful way with race, seduction and ultimately love playing significant parts. The understated score helps the action unfold and the coming together of Berry and Thornton are handled in an extraordinarily effective manner. With Peter Boyle playing Thronton's racist and dying father, the cast of "Monster's Ball" takes an inventive plot and turns it into a film full of depth and understanding. It's one not to be missed.

Monster's Ball Available from Amazon Price: $9.98 Updated on 9-23-2008.

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