Monster’s Ball

Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Barry, Heath Ledger, Sean Combs and Peter Boyle

Directed by Marc Forster

This goes a long, long way from your typical love story, people. Halle Berry and Billy Bob? Exactly the reaction your’e supposed to give, why? In this deeply emotional, often painful tale, two people who couldn’t be further apart are brought together in a desperate attempt to save what’s left of their lives and their souls. Hank Grotowski (Thornton) is the head of State of Alabama’s guard detail for prisoners on death row, following in the footseps of his bigoted father (Boyle) and dragging his wayward son (Ledger) along with him. Leticia Musgrove (Berry) is the wife of a convicted murderer (played with startling intimacy by Combs) set for eletrocution and under Hank’s guard. Slowly but surely, these two lost and lonely souls are drawn together by the tragedies in their lives, desperatly clinging to each other for some sort of foothold in the world. Touching performances by Thornton and Berry, who heartily deserved the Oscar she won here, coupled with deeply emotional and very nearly scarring roles by Ledger and Boyle create a mood so somber and painful in Moster’s Ball you’ll walk away feeling physically stunned. 4 cell phones