Billy Bob Thornton, Coronji Calhoun, Dante Beze
Hank, an embittered prison guard, lives with his aging racist father, Buck, and his own twenty something son, Sonny. Hank and Sonny work for the local prison where they are preparing the electric chai...( read more
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DVD Release Date: June 11, 2002
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Stats: 2,384 reviews
Your Rating
Flixster Reviews (2,384)
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September 24, 2009Frankenstein?s testicle. Joking, this is a very entertaining film, brilliantly played by Billy Bob Thornton.
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September 11, 2009Really depressing movie. The ending was really weird. But it was good to see Thornton's character finally come around.
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April 8, 2009"A lifetime of change can happen in a single moment."
After a family tragedy, a racist prison guard reexamines his attitudes while falling in love with the African American wife of the last prisoner he executed.
REVIEW< ...( read more) -
March 2, 2009An average drama which was well written and well acted. The set left a bit to be desired as it seemed the film wasn't sure where the story was happening (Louisiana or Georgia). Thorton, Ledger and Boyle were excellent in their respective roles, and though Berry was the best I'...( read more)
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September 27, 2008"I've always believed that a portrait captures a person far better than a photograph. It truly takes a human being to really see a human being."
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Simply put, Monster's Ball is one hell of an outstanding movie. Marc Forster's direction is first-rate, the script -
November 1, 2009Marc Forster is terrific with drama and he directs this one very well. The story has a concept that we've seen a lot, but we've never seen it with this kind of story. I love the characters. They've all got a sense of sorrow and innocence that makes you feel sorry for them. The ac...( read more)
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October 26, 2009Halle Berry's incredible Oscar winning performance is a huge boost to this film. It is certainly not a cheery "feel good" film, but it is a powerful and heart wrenching story. The rest of the cast is great as well.
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October 14, 2009after all . it's a blessing that you have the strength to move on and leave the past far behind
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October 5, 2009I thought this movie was extremely good and very raw. It tells a story about Hank who together with his son work at a prison, they've lived in a racist home their entire lives. They prepare the execution of a black man and after the execution Hank falls in love with the black wid...( read more)
Critic Reviews
February 8, 2002
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
February 1, 2002
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The movie has the complexity of great fiction, and requires our empathy as we interpret the decisions that are made. full review
January 4, 2002
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com
It's less than half a fine movie. The great surprise is that its actors come through in the clutch. full review
December 26, 2001
A.O. Scott, The New York Times
This is one of those rare movies in which even people glimpsed only for a moment or two seem to have lives that ramify beyond the screen, as if the story were being witnessed rather than dramatized. full review
December 21, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
The actors make it unique and unforgettable. full review
Comments
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March 2, 2007The title comes from a custom in medieval England where prisoners awaiting execution were called monsters. The night before their execution, their jailers would hold a feast known as a monster's ball as their final farewell. For those who don't know what monster's ball is.
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June 21, 2006Good thing Halle Berry had a super hot sex scene or this movie would not be worth seeing but because of it I've seen the movie a thousand times!!
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