Halle Berry, Billy Bob Thornton give dazzling performances in 'Monster's Ball'

By Jack Garner
Gannett News Service

MONSTER'S BALL (Rated R with profanity, violence, sex, and nudity) Three-and-a-Half Stars (Good-to-Excellent) Marc Forster's potent drama confronts racism through its depiction of an unlikely relationship between a white, Southern death-row prison guard and the black widow of a man he helped execute. Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry lead the superb cast. Lions Gate Films, 108 mins.

But, as Marc Forster's potent drama painfully demonstrates, the real monster's ball here is our nation's deadly dance with racism.

Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry are both generating Oscar buzz with their riveting performances as an unlikely couple whose relationship is a prism through which to view racial attitudes.

Thornton plays Hank Grotowski, a Southern, death-row prison guard who has followed in the footsteps of his now-retired father, Buck (Peter Boyle). Now Hank's son, Sonny (Heath Ledger), also works at the prison.

As the film opens, Hank and Sonny are among the guards preparing a prisoner (Sean Combs) for execution.

Clearly, the profession leaves wounds. Sonny, for example, throws up while escorting the man to the electric chair. Obviously, Sonny is not happy with his job, but feels compelled by family tradition to make the effort.

Even more hurtful is the other family trait — racism. Old Buck is unrelenting in his virulent hatred of blacks. Hank's racism is less overt, but still clearly present.

Only Sonny seems to have moved beyond such hatred, but the two older men in his family view his open attitude as weak and girlish. And when he finally confronts his father, tragedy follows.

Berry, meanwhile, is Leticia Musgrove, a young woman struggling with all sorts of obstacles. Her estranged husband is on death row. (In fact, he's the prisoner executed by Hank and Sonny.) Her young son (Coronji Calhoun) is a sad and lonely boy with a weight problem, constantly seeking satisfaction from junk food. And Leticia also has money problems, and is on the verge of being evicted from her apartment.

But then Leticia and Hank meet — and evolve into unlikely friends, helping each other deal with their deep emotional scars, and their respective hungers for any sort of human companionship and touch.

Their journey takes filmgoers through mighty dark territory — deaths and depression mount up, especially in the film's middle portion. But "Monster's Ball" details its story with engrossing realism and surprising grace, and with the wisdom and literary intelligence of a powerful short story.

In many ways, "Monster's Ball" seems a distant cousin to another dark and powerful drama of the day, "In the Bedroom." Although each film explores its own themes, "Monster's Ball" almost could be labeled "In Another Room.")

Under Forster's taut, intelligent direction, the cast delivers subtle, complex and realistic performances.

Thornton's Hank is a pained, guilt-ridden man, struggling to find some sort of justification to keep on living. Berry's Leticia is fighting hard to get a break out of life — and to find just a little tenderness or affection somewhere, somehow. Both create remarkable chemistry, in performances that speak volumes, even when they're silent.

Boyle's Buck is a bitter repository of cruel hatred, and is drained of any redeeming love or respect. His scene with Leticia, when he spews utterly despicable bigotry is among the most disturbing movie moments I can recall. That, of course, is a testament to the acting, as well as the script.

Ledger has little time to develop much as a character; still he manages to unsettle us as Sonny, when he confronts his father. Combs and newcomer Calhoun also have memorable moments as the death-row prisoner and his dispirited son.

"Monster's Ball" is a heart-wrenching but rewarding experience, as well as a showcase for some of the best acting you'll see this season.

Rated R, with profanity, violence, sex, nudity.