Some movies just don't get right to the business at hand, causing uneasiness in the viewer.

Monster's Ball is a masterpiece in that it not only has one feeling slightly off-center almost immediately, it does it by sleight of hand scripting and excellent directing. What you see is not really what you're feeling.

 Difficult at first to perceive, the depictions feel harsh and unrelenting; the characters' lives feel sterile and irreparably difficult. And at the end, when good comes after such an emotional roller coaster ride, one isn't sure it is acceptable as sincerely representational. The themes of generational abuse, bigotry and isolation all give way to the stronger themes of humanity, loving for its own sake-and-that truly, every day is the first day of the rest of our lives. One disingenuous flaw is a definite karmic imbalance for the main protagonist and yet, none of us know how that bottom line is actually determined or in which lifetime. Scalded into consciousness through his son's deep trauma-he begins anew without a care for appearances.

As the paths of two families incidentally cross, the dissipating mists of different social issues drift in and around this story of humanity's basic neediness. Choosing to break the generation-to-generation thought constructs is an admirable endeavor, even when it is the result of simple rebellion. Heath Ledger's strong portrayal of the son, representing his generation and stubbornly willing all the anger to cease, believably delivered the winsome confusion experienced by the young in the face of unrelenting anger and authoritarian parenting. Billy Bob Thornton is the broken, numb father around which all levels of emotion in the story swirl. Peter Boyle is agonizingly believable as the grandfather parroting generations of cruel ideas as if they were his to defend. Head of another family, Sean 'Puffy' Combs powerfully enables his character, also wishing the generational cycle to stop; he admonishes his son to be his own person. Young Coronji Calhoun was lovable as his loyal and emotional son and victim of his parents' behaviors. Halle Berry, in her role of mother and wife, is almost unrecognizable and then reveals more true depth when stretching her character beyond her natural boundaries through the tentative relationship with Thornton's character. She disappears into the character, taking the viewer with her-which is why she's up for awards. Such a film deserves more than the minor attention it got in initial release last year. Now it is enjoying full exposure in most theatre markets because Halle Berry is up for her part. The writers, Milo Addica and Will Rokos, are also up for Best Original Screenplay. Due to the scope of this script, the film tagged up in five genres Drama, Crime, Family, Thriller, and Romance. No small task for a mere two-hour story, Monster's Ball was provocatively raw life happening to ultimately engaging characters, evoking more viewer reaction than most scripts in 2001. Had it not been for the awards shows, our first viewing here of this 'sleeper' could have been on our own small screens. Lion's Gate Films with Lee Daniels Entertainment produced Monster's Ball, which can still be caught at The Palm's Brenden Theatres-by far Las Vegas' finest venue for screening films of this quality. Stop over quick and experience this one.

DRAMAS worth catching that are compelling, well executed, and however violent, certainly making statements of honor, loyalty, patriotism and self - lessness are John Q, Hart's War and Collateral Damage. 2002 is still weak in comedies with 'barely-placing' entries Crossroads, an elegant, simple vehicle for Britney Spears with Anson Mount stealing the show, and Big Fat Liar showcasing young Frankie Muniz, better known to all from Malcolm in the Middle, and brilliantly comedic, young Amanda Bynes.

All Things Video....   

Carol Lane Patterson