Monster's Ball Movie Review 2001

Georgia death-row prison guard Hank (Thornton) is following in his father Buck's (Boyle) footsteps as a guard, and as a bigot. His son (Ledger) also has joined the family business, but doesn't seem to have the heart or stomach for it. When his son throws up during the execution of Lawrence Musgrove (Combs), Hank flies into a rage that makes him reexamine his life. Soon after, he helps the waitress, Leticia (Berry) from the diner he frequents after an auto accident. Leticia is Musgrove's widow, unbeknownst to Hank, who begins what at first is a desperate, sexual relationship with her that changes both of them. Director Forster and scripters Addica and Rokos provide a well-done, raw, and unflinching story that the excellent cast, especially Berry (who won the Best Actress Oscar) and Thornton inhabit perfectly. Boyle is also powerful as the malevolent patriarch. Everything comes together to announce Forster's arrival as a directorial force.

Distribution

CinemaNow, 4553 Glencoe Ave., Ste. 200, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292, URL: http://www.cinemanow.com, Remarks: Formerly known as Lions Gate Home Entertainment

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 111 minutes.
Originally from United States.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Men in Prison, Death Row, Interracial Affairs, Hard Knock Life, Bad Dads, Monster Moms, African America, Sex & Sexuality, Suicide, Child Abuse, American South, Waiters & Waitresses, Widows & Widowers, Diner, 4 Bones

Screenplay

Will Rokos, Milo Addica

Cast

Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, Heath Ledger, Peter Boyle, P. Diddy) Combs Sean (Puffy Puff Daddy, Coronji Calhoun, Dante "Mos Def" Beze, Will Rokos, Milo Addica

Cinematography

Roberto Schaefer

Director

Marc Forster

Other

Jeff Pullman, Joel High, Matt Chesse, Leonard Spears, Frank Fleming, Monroe Kelly

Producer

Lee Daniels, Lions Gate Films

Awards

Oscars 2001: Actress (Berry); Natl. Bd. of Review 2001: Actor (Thornton), Actress (Berry); Screen Actors Guild 2001: Actress (Berry).