Best Actress: Charlize Theron
Queen Charlize!
Charlize Theron's performance in Monster is regularly credited as amongst the top performances of the 21st century so far, and amongst the best to ever win an Oscar. Twenty-three years on from her Oscar win (first and only so far, but like, we all agree she was snubbed as Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road, right?), and it should be studied how Charlize managed to get into the business, change her entire image with Monster, and build a reputation as a chameleon and grand dame of Hollywood.
Charlize underwent a physical transformation to play serial killer Aileen Wuornos, gaining 30 pounds, wearing fake crooked teeth, and shaving her eyebrows. For her efforts, and her raw, captivating talent, she was rewarded wtih an Oscar.
Monster tells the story of Aileen's killing spree in 1989 and 1990 through Florida, with her (fictionalized, based on a real person) girlfriend at her side (played with perfect fragility by Christina Ricci), all the way up to her conviction.
This movie could be so corny if a lesser actress was handling the material, but Charlize so thoroughly disappears into the performance that if you saw this film first, without knowing the actress, you would be shocked to see what Charlize looked like on the red carpets.
What I love about her performance is that in many, many scenes, Aileen goes from blistering anger to depressing sadness to giddy and gleeful, sometimes in the same breath, and Charlize keeps up with the script and has crafted such an encompassing portrayal that it's impossible not to be mesmerized by it.
Charlize is another one of my favourite modern actresses. I've always appreciated how she transforms herself for her roles. Go watch Bombshell and tell me how she disappears physically into Megyn Kelly.
There's an article by culture writer Anne Helen Petersen that I've always loved about Charlize. My favourite line, and argument, is that Charlize is a rarified actress in the mold of Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn: "her image has shifted from cool girl to bitch, and now from bitch to broad. Even with — or despite — her traditional beauty, she’s achieved a position of cultural and industrial power akin to Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn, who, like Theron, prided themselves on ignoring the unspoken rules of proper (female) star behavior." You can read it here.
Charlize was nominated against Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider), Diane Keaton (Something's Gotta Give), Samantha Morton (In America), and Naomi Watts (21 Grams).
There was no way Charlize wasn't going to win the Oscar that year.
DID I LIKE MONSTER? Yes!
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Did you like Monster? What are your thoughts on Charlize Theron's Oscar win?
Keep up with all my Rewatching the Best Actresses posts here.
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