Monster's Ball (2001)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Brad W

  
  Monster Ball is a creepy and emotional film that gave me a lot of respect for Halle Berry as she plays a incredible role, and the story was also very interesting and great, I really enjoyed Monster Ball.

• Steven C

  
  "Monster's Ball" is at once a overwrought and grating film while also managing to be complex and rewarding. What ultimately makes the film work is the fatalistic nature of the narrative. The performances are solid all around, with Billy Bob Thornton, Peter Boyle and… More
  "Monster's Ball" is at once a overwrought and grating film while also managing to be complex and rewarding. What ultimately makes the film work is the fatalistic nature of the narrative. The performances are solid all around, with Billy Bob Thornton, Peter Boyle and Heath Ledger fulfilling completely different physical representations of masculinity. Halle Berry on the other hand, who delivers a raw, ugly and risky performance is more admirable for the places she tries to go than what she actually achieves. Berry is the first African American to ever be awarded an Oscar for Best Actress and the accolade is not entirely deserved here, in my opinion. Still, "Monster's Ball" has an intriguing script and daring performances, two things that always warrant at least one viewing of a film.

• Martin S

  
  I don't know.....It wasn't really that good....Puff/P/Puffy was pretty impresive....but then he died....Heath Ledger was also pretty impresive....then he died too.....then there wasn't really too much fun left. The story wasn't really told in a good way

• Lady D

  
  A bitter-sweet tale from start to finish, this film is all about breaking generational cycles of learned behaviour. The film has a very raw honesty about it and the emotions go from each extreme, from no feeling to intense feeling and is a most extroidinary tale of love and lost.… More
  A bitter-sweet tale from start to finish, this film is all about breaking generational cycles of learned behaviour. The film has a very raw honesty about it and the emotions go from each extreme, from no feeling to intense feeling and is a most extroidinary tale of love and lost. It was certainly Halle Berry's best performance to date in my opinion, but Billy Bob Thornton was something else and this was arguably his best role to date too. The Father must have played a great role too, because the disgust of his character really is felt through the storytelling. One of my favourite films, it?s deep and it?s human!

• Randy T

  
  I'm not sure why I put off seeing this for so long. Maybe it was because all anyone ever talked about were the steamy love scenes between Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton (?). Maybe Stephanie Zacharek's negative review put me off (?). Whatever the reason, I'm happy… More
  I'm not sure why I put off seeing this for so long. Maybe it was because all anyone ever talked about were the steamy love scenes between Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton (?). Maybe Stephanie Zacharek's negative review put me off (?). Whatever the reason, I'm happy to admit that my preconceptions were wrong. There is a lot here to like. <i>Monster's Ball</i> may not blow you away but it's sure to hold your attention with it's intelligent scripting and empathetic characters. Not OMG-fantastic but certainly not bad.

• Anthony L

  
  Frankenstein?s testicle. Joking, this is a very entertaining film, brilliantly played by Billy Bob Thornton.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"A lifetime of change can happen in a single moment."</i> 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. <center><font size=+2… More
  <i>"A lifetime of change can happen in a single moment."</i> 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. <center><font size=+2 face="Verdana"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton do an outstanding job in this opulently photographed chronicle of generational hatred. The entire supporting cast is rock solid, including Peter Boyle as the bilious, crumbling paterfamilias who gets his just desserts. If there is anything wrong with the movie it is in its lack of foundation for the rapid shelving of entrenched attitudes, as well as instant intoxication from a nip of Jack Daniels and its almost overdone cleverness. A little suspension of disbelief is needed, but this film is merciful salvation from the endless procession of sappy or exploding car movies. The viewer is rewarded with a realistic and honest ending.

• Dan S

  
  A solid movie concerning a prison guard looking to rid himself of his father's feelings and practices that he's put into place in his own life. This film is full of rich performances, especially from Thornton, Berry, Ledger, and a scene-stealing Boyle. What keeps it from… More
  A solid movie concerning a prison guard looking to rid himself of his father's feelings and practices that he's put into place in his own life. This film is full of rich performances, especially from Thornton, Berry, Ledger, and a scene-stealing Boyle. What keeps it from being a great movie is that it feels too disaster-prone at times, pretty much anything that can go wrong WILL go wrong, but that doesn't keep it from being a good character study.

• Tsubaki S

  
  Two stars just for Halle Berry's boobs and P Diddy getting executed. The rest is corny tv melodrama.

• xGary X

  
  A series of (perhaps overly contrived) tragic events bring together an ex-corrections officer and the widow of a man he had a hand in executing in a thoughtful and well-written drama of finding redemption in breaking with the destructive influences of the past. Billy Bob Thornton… More
  A series of (perhaps overly contrived) tragic events bring together an ex-corrections officer and the widow of a man he had a hand in executing in a thoughtful and well-written drama of finding redemption in breaking with the destructive influences of the past. Billy Bob Thornton gives a typically sturdy performance complimented by oscar winner Halle Berry, but it is Peter Boyle's decrepit yet still belligerently obnoxious patriarch that is the scene stealer. Actually, my main gripe lies in the casting of Berry, because as good as she is, and as crucial to the story the infamous sex scene is, having such a strikingly attractive woman involved can only lead to titillation; as a result the scene feels rather like high end porn. The script also reminded me of Crash in that although well written and thoughtful, it all seemed a little too convenient and all the events leading up to the couple's relationship just felt like the means to an end rather than a believable story. Having said that, it's a sensitively told tale that is nowhere near as depressing as it sounds. That and you get to see Sean "Puffy"/"Puff Daddy"/"P. Diddy"/"talentless twatbag" Combs deep-fried into the bargain. Back of the net!

• Lenny M

  
  Billy Bob Thornton pulling some heavy action with Halle Berry, Heath Ledger is barely in the film.

• Drew S

  
  Would it have been tacky if I called this movie "electrifying"? Probably. It's a good adjective nonetheless, though, for this carnival of tortured Midwestern folk. Everyone you see in Monster's Ball is a pained, sorry person with very little to live for. These are… More
  Would it have been tacky if I called this movie "electrifying"? Probably. It's a good adjective nonetheless, though, for this carnival of tortured Midwestern folk. Everyone you see in Monster's Ball is a pained, sorry person with very little to live for. These are people on the edge and things keep on pushing them. Halle Berry's performance is phenomenal, and by virtue of this she's able to match strides with Billy Bob Thornton's beautifully-written character. Hank Grotowski is a fascinating person because of how he treats his racist father; how he treats his ineffectual son; how he treated his dead wife; how he treats Leticia, a black woman who desperately needs him in more ways than one. This is his movie. Monster's Ball is strongest in that it is convincing. Nothing here stretches the boundaries of plausibility; no out-of-place dialogue or tawdry sentimentalism. It's uncompromising, and in that way, it's a hard watch (especially those first forty minutes. Talk about depressing). You may not like Monster's Ball, but you will hopefully appreciate it.

• Red L

  
  I enjoyed the performances of both Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry. A movie about the American south with it's justice system, racism and all, and two people who somehow managed to change.

• Aliyanto L

  
  The best performance of Berry!

• Lanning :

  
  Possibly Billy Bob Thorton's best performance. Definitely Halle Berry's most moving work to date. Sean Combs is amazing. <p> For you younger flixsters, if Peter Boyle means <i>Everybody Loves Raymond</i> for you, then seeing this is a must.… More
  Possibly Billy Bob Thorton's best performance. Definitely Halle Berry's most moving work to date. Sean Combs is amazing. <p> For you younger flixsters, if Peter Boyle means <i>Everybody Loves Raymond</i> for you, then seeing this is a must. Boyle's career has been varied and consistently strong. See this one and <i>Young Frankenstein</i> as a great double-feature movie night. The pair will give you a great look at Boyle's artistic range.

• Emily A

  
  After watching this movie, I get the feeling I missed something. I can't think of one thing good about it, besides Halle Berry. Depressing, slow and abusive from beginning to end.

• Nate Z

  
  [font=Arial][color=darkred]'Monster's Ball' has already garnered two Oscar nominations, including one for the lovely Halle Berry for Best Actress, and received numerous end of the year accolades. Is 'Monster's Ball' the startling ruminations on race that… More
  [font=Arial][color=darkred]'Monster's Ball' has already garnered two Oscar nominations, including one for the lovely Halle Berry for Best Actress, and received numerous end of the year accolades. Is 'Monster's Ball' the startling ruminations on race that you're being told? Well… yes and no.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Set in the south, Hank Grotowski (Billy Bob Thornton) and his son Sonny (Heath Ledger) are prison guards at the state penitentiary and preparing for an execution. The man to die is Lawrence Musgrove (Sean Combs) who will be leaving behind an overweight young son and making a widow out of Leticia (Halle Berry). The tension in the Grotowski home escalates especially as Hank has chosen to care for his own ailing father (Peter Boyle), who still finds the time to spout out racist rhetoric through an oxygen mask. One last confrontation leaves a permanent mark of emptiness on the family.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Leticia is struggling to just make ends meet and fight an impending eviction. Her car keeps breaking down on her, she's been let go from her job as a waitress and she has to raise a son by herself all the while trying to encourage him to lose weight. Leticia is breaking down and her world around her is crumbling.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]One night Leticia gets into an accident walking home along the roadside and needs assistance badly. The one who pulls the car aside to help is actually Hank. As time goes by he helps Leticia however he can whether its giving her a ride home from the diner or just staying with her so she won't be alone.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Hank and Leticia come together out of mutual need and grief. They are two people entirely wrong for each other that kindle a passion that seems to transcend race. Leticia needs someone to take care of her, after having a husband on death row and fighting to stay above the poverty line. Hank needs someone to take care of, out of a mixture of compounded loneliness and grief.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Thornton reprises the repressed protagonist of 'The Man Who Wasn't There' with his portrayal of Hank. His lips are pursed, looking a tad like Mr. Limpet, and he expresses more with a furrowed brow and stare than words could manage. Thornton's performance is good, and the audience does really end up rooting for Hank, but the performance doesn't resonate, possibly because of the writing for the character.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]I guess one could say 'Monster's Ball' is Halle Berry's legitimization as an actress instead of a pretty thing to look at. Berry gives the performance of her career and has moments where she's on the verge of ripping your heart out.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]'Monster's Ball' is not exactly the scorching portrait of race relations that it has been hyped to be. It's really more of a story about two characters with race being underscored except for a convenient occasion where it can become the catalyst to a fight.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]The film also takes some of its metaphors rather simply. The connection between father and son includes Hank and Sonny using the same prostitute. Hank eats every night in the same diner and always orders a bowl of chocolate ice cream (get it?) and black coffee (get it?).[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]All the ballyhoo over the explicit 'Monster's Ball' sex scene (thank you so much news-fluff Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood) is undeserving. The sex scene is no different than a hundred seen before, and many on Showtime during the late hours. The scene serves its purpose thematically in the story for its characters but it really isn't "hot and steamy" as its been dubbed to be. Don't go for a sex scene even if Halle shows her berries.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Besides the acting 'Monster's Ball' has some other accomplishments up its sleeve. The cinematography is gorgeous and uses lights and darks to an incredibly effective degree. There are many scenes where you might be paying more attention to how the scene looks than the scene itself. The music is also commendable for the simple task of not becoming intrusive and actually enhancing the story. This is what scores are intended to do. Are you listening James Horner?[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]'Monster's Ball' may be the biggest suck-in-air-uncomfortably movie to come out in a long time. I found myself enacting this measure every time someone did something horrible, said something racists or surprisingly died. This may be because I had the entire theater to myself for my own amusement.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]'Monster's Ball' is certainly a well-written and well-acted film. It's just not up to snuff when it comes to Best Picture speculation.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate's Grade: B [/color][/font]

• Bradley W

  
  Monster Ball is a creepy and emotional film that gave me a lot of respect for Halle Berry as she plays a incredible role, and the story was also very interesting and great, I really enjoyed Monster Ball.

• Kevin M

  
  Sure, it's incredibly depressing, but incredible performances from all 3 main characters, several twists, and a captivating plot, the film is exceptional.

• Mouhannad S

  
  'Monster's Ball' is a tale of a racist white man, Hank, who falls in love with a black woman named Leticia. Ironically Hank is a prison guard working on Death Row who executed Leticia's husband. Hank and Leticia's interracial affair leads to confusion and new… More
  'Monster's Ball' is a tale of a racist white man, Hank, who falls in love with a black woman named Leticia. Ironically Hank is a prison guard working on Death Row who executed Leticia's husband. Hank and Leticia's interracial affair leads to confusion and new ideas for the two unlikely lovers. What impressed me the most about Monster's Ball was the very,very high quality of intimate scenes between the two leads....The actors created an environment of authenticity....it seemed like no acting, it was so natural. They did themselves proud... Halle Berry was indeed great in this role. I believe that she very much deserved her award for best actress. I think, however, it is Billy Bob Thornton's movie. He is just brilliant. Otherwise, this is a different and touching drama.I really liked it .

Read all 20 featured audience ratings