Monster

3 out of 5 stars.

Strong plot about a guy who gets accused of robbing and murdering a store clerk. Great performances. But dull and tedious direction that gets boring after a while.

'Monster' refers to the opening statement made by the prosecutor and how he chooses to label Steve, - Kelvin Harrison Jr- based on a presumed guilt that isn't just a result of his position within the courtroom but also because of Steve's race, the idea that a 17-year-old black male is somehow inherently barbaric.

It's the same assumption that's led to countless state-sanctioned killings or imprisonments, based less on facts of the case and more the fear that surrounds it and Monster smartly avoids looking at the frustration of the political to focus on the horror of the personal. Just how terrifying would every stage of this process be for a teen?

Aside from the harrowing practicalities of life in prison, how would an already fractured time mentally effect an adolescent. Then shatter under this new lens? How would one then start to view one's self?

The trick for Steve and his lawyer (Jennifer Ehle) is to turn him into a human for the members of the jury, rather than the stereotype as they see him.

The same applies for first-time director Anthony Mandler, working against members of the audience who might arrive to the film, and the situation, with similar 'baggage'

A thoroughly enjoyable movie. I've given this 7/10.

The film is okay, but the lead is superior to it. The cast in general is superb, but the writing is not. Others here have made excellent observations, so I won't spend time on that other than the annoyance of many questions never resolved. I felt this is a case for reasonable doubt all along, yet never addressed in the narrative. It's not a bad film, just not great. I do want to celebrate the lead actor, Kelvin Harrison: a striking and brilliantly talented young actor whose career I will be following closely.

It seems quite obvious where the movie leads at first. It does take a few turns and twists along the way. The main thing is how certain people are viewed though - based on the color of their skin as one example that is being explored here. You may feel that this is being a bit one dimensional, but as I already stated there is more to it than at first sight (no pun intended) and also unfortunately as cliche as it may sound, it is bitter reality ... still to this day.

Having said all that, the movie has some very actors in it ... and some very dramatic moments to say the least. Many times if a colored kid is being singled out and made responsible for a crime, they plead for a bargain ... which is anything but that, especially if they are innocent. This goes to the court ... which can turn out to be even worse than taking a plea deal ... what will happen here? Well I am not going to tell you, you have to watch if you want to know ... but be prepared for everything ...

This is one of those movies where it's all about the execution. The story is something that we've seen before, but it's the way they execute this story that makes it an original watch. Because our main character is a future movie director, he guides us through the story with a very interesting point of view. The way he narrates the story might be a little on the nose at times, but it does give a very fresh perspective on a familiar story. Something that also made a good impression were the performances. Especially Kelvin Harris Jr. Gives a very good performance that shows the heartwarming, but also the darker moments of his teenage life. The direction is something that was a bit questionable at times. The way it uses the flashbacks and forward where easy to follow, but a bit out of place at times. There were also some side stories that didn't really go anywhere and little errors that kept me out of the story, but it did bring it home in the end. I became very invested in the story and that made the ending very nerve racking. All in all, a familiar story with a very interesting point of view.