DramaRomance

Monster's Ball

- A lifetime of change can happen in a single moment.

A prison guard begins a tentative romance with the unsuspecting widow of a man whose execution he presided over.

Release Date : 2001-12-26

Language :IdoEnglish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : LionsgateLee Daniels Entertainment

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Hank Grotowski

Original Name : Billy Bob Thornton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sonny Grotowski

Original Name : Heath Ledger

Gender : Male

Character Name : Leticia Musgrove

Original Name : Halle Berry

Gender : Female

Character Name : Lawrence Musgrove

Original Name : Sean Combs

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ryrus Cooper

Original Name : Yasiin Bey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Warden Velesco

Original Name : Will Rokos

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tommy Roulaine

Original Name : Milo Addica

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tyrell Musgrove

Original Name : Coronji Calhoun

Gender : Male

Character Name : Buck Grotowski

Original Name : Peter Boyle

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lucille

Original Name : Taylor Simpson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Betty

Original Name : Gabrielle Witcher

Gender : Male

Character Name : Vera

Original Name : Amber Rules

Gender : Female

Character Name : Willie Cooper

Original Name : Charles Cowan Jr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : Darryl Cooper

Original Name : Taylor LaGrange

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dappa Smith

Original Name : Anthony Bean

Gender : Male

Character Name : Georgia Ann Paynes

Original Name : Francine Segal

Gender : Male

Character Name : Harvey Shoonmaker

Original Name : John McConnell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Phil Huggins

Original Name : Marcus Lyle Brown

Gender : Male

Character Name : Booter

Original Name : Leah Loftin

Gender : Female

Character Name : Co #1

Original Name : Larry Lee

Gender : Male

Character Name : Co #2

Original Name : Troy Poret

Gender : Male

Character Name : Co #3

Original Name : Paul Smith

Gender : Male

Character Name : Correction Officer

Original Name : Marshall Cain

Gender : Male

Character Name : Billy

Original Name : Anthony Michael Frederick

Gender : Male

Character Name : Minister

Original Name : John Wilmot

Gender : Male

Character Name : Clements

Original Name : Dennis Clements

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nurse

Original Name : Stephanie Claire

Gender : Female

Character Name : Hospital Guard

Original Name : James Haven

Gender : Male

Character Name : Detective

Original Name : Ritchie Montgomery

Gender : Male

Character Name : Maggie Cooper

Original Name : Clara Hopkins Daniels

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ms. Guillermo

Original Name : Carol Sutton

Gender : Female

Character Name : Deputy Jones

Original Name : Bernard Johnson

Gender : Male

Reviews

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2021-06-23

***Powerful message in a melancholic drama bogged down by un-real contrivances and other issues*** A father and son (Billy Bob Thornton and Heath Ledger) are correctional officers in Louisiana who live with their father, a former corrections officer and hateful racist (Peter Boyle). After overseeing the execution of a black man (Sean 'Diddy' Combs) a couple of tragedies compel the father, Hank (Thornton), to meet the struggling ex-wife of the executed man (Halle Berry). The cast, locations, score and directing are all excellent. The problem is the contrived script, which tends to focus on the worst in humanity and sometimes creates a feeling of surreal un-reality. As far as the former goes, the first half features ugly racism, prostitution (and the corresponding overt sex scene), hate, a prison execution, an unforeseen suicide and a sudden hit-and-run. If you can handle all that in the first 55 minutes, you might appreciate this movie. Some of these sequences work (the prostitute scene and the execution) and some don’t (the racism, suicide and hit-and-run). The latter ones have a sense of unreality either because of dubious writing or weak execution, or both. Take, for instance, the racist remarks by the old patriarch (Boyle). They come off unbelievable and laughable (or maybe they wanted them to come off laughable?). With better writing/acting/directing they would’ve worked. Or take the hit-and-run: it’s totally off-camera; and the segue into the aftermath is weak. The viewer is left asking, “What just happened? Did I miss something?” As for the suicide, it was just unconvincing in more than one way. Halle won an Oscar for her performance, but I found her miscast. She was too white, too intelligent and too young/gorgeous for the role. As for being “too white,” her son would’ve had lighter skin. In regards to being “too intelligent,” when she has a long talk with Hank on the couch I didn’t buy her character. It came across as an obviously enlightened Berry ACTING uneducated and low class. As for being too young/hot, are we to believe she’s been drinkin’ and smokin’ for ELEVEN YEARS waiting for her former husband to be put to death without any dudes sniffin’ around and no worse for the wear? She should’ve been made up to look older or, at least, more drained. Instead, she looks fresh and thoroughly beautiful from head-to-toe. Despite all these considerable negatives, the movie conveys a well thought-out message and contains some worthy intricacies, not to mention it refuses idiotic political correctness. For instance, the prisoner honestly admits what he did was wrong and accepts his fate as just, even while he’s clearly repentant. Moreover, the wife wants nothing to do with him and only visits for the sake of their son. A critic wrongly argued that a certain character was a hardcore racist and wouldn’t have such a “sudden change of heart.” Well, this critic wasn’t watching closely. At the beginning of the movie this character was well into the process of metamorphosizing from his father’s odious mindset. Yes, he does something hateful with his rifle near the opening, but this was a PERFORMANCE for his dad who was peering through the window with approval. In short, the hateful patriarch still exercised his insufferable iron will over the family even while he was restricted to a wheelchair and stroller. The film’s about freeing oneself of that power and that hate; and much more. The movie runs 1 hour, 51 minutes and was shot in Laplace, Louisiana, and Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola. GRADE: C+/B-

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2021-06-23