Betrayal seemed to be the leitmotif in Aileen Wuornos’ life. The subject of the film “Monster” was portrayed not as a saint, but as an out-of-control person who desperately wished to be in control.

Charlize Theron recently won an Oscar for her portrayal of Aileen, a prostitute convicted in seven murders in the Florida area. I’ve seen interviews with the real Aileen and I was convinced that the person on screen was not Theron but Wuornos. Christina Ricci was not even nominated but should have won a supporting actress award for her portrayal of Selby Wall, Aileen’s lover. Selby, whose real name is Tyria J. Moore, befriended Aileen and in the end, of course, betrays her.

Theron went through an amazing transformation to become Aileen, not just emotionally but physically. She gained 25 pounds and went through an extraordinary amount of make-up to portray a prostitute who never wore make-up.

I wished the movie would have been longer so that the film could have focused more on Aileen’s upbringing. Her back-story could be a movie in itself. Aileen so mistrusted men that when one honestly wanted to help her it was too late. Her paranoia got the best of her.

Aileen wanted to better herself but never got a chance. Little education and no real work history hindered her plans. Selby’s selfishness also played a big part in her lover’s destruction as Aileen felt Selby would leave if she was not taken care of, which meant Aileen continue to work as a prostitute.

Aileen paid the price for her misdeeds and if we are to believe in this movie’s message, if there is a hell, society as a whole may end up there for letting her down over and over again.