Gods and Monsters
Starring: Ian McKellen, Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave, Lolita Davidovich
Directed by: Bill Condon
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
1998

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Former director James Whale (Ian McKellen) forms an unlikely bond with his gardener (Brendan Fraser) as he battles illness and reflects on his Hollywood career.

Review:

Tim: I really appreciate that Gods and Monsters gives us an unexpected look into a director that I didn't know much about before I saw this movie. When I started learning about who James Whale was, I was surprised to learn I'd seen quite a few of his movies, Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein being two obvious ones. While this film is a fictionalized account of his final days, it's still a fascinating look into a director that isn't as famous today as he probably should be. Still, you expect to see films about legends like Alfred Hitchcock- James Whale was a bit unexpected.

The film is good, but I never found it completely compelling. Part of this may be due to the fictionalized aspect of the film. While many of the scenes here were based on actual events, some of the most important ones were completely made up. For example, the relationship between Whale and his gardener is complete fiction. I had a hard time getting past that, as it's the most important relationship in the film. It was an interesting intellectual exercise to watch the film, but I wish it had been a bit more rooted in fact. I know that most Hollywood biopics are far more fictionalized than we'd might expect, but this one really took a number of creative licenses.

The cast is fairly good. Ian McKellen is energetically wonderful as Whale. McKellen is such a strong actor- it's no surprise that he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor here. His portrayal of Whale is nuanced and complex. At moments, you genuinely like and sympathize with him. In others, he really turns you off and you feel ambivalent towards him and his circumstances. It's a testament to McKellen that even at his worst, he never loses the connection with the audience. It's a very good performance. Lynn Redgrave was also nominated for an Academy Award, for Supporting Actress. I thought she was fine- I do admit that she stole a few scenes. I wouldn't say I loved her performance, but she did contribute to the film. Brendan Fraser isn't a good enough actor to really hit a home run with this role, but I felt like he was serviceable. He has a few nice moments with McKellen sprinkled throughout the film.

I like that this film not only shined a light on James Whale, but it painted an interesting perspective at Hollywood in this time period. Whale's homosexuality is on full display here and it's striking how it is portrayed on screen. That is one of the defining characteristics of his character and you really feel for how difficult it must have been for him. While it seems like he found accepting circles in Hollywood, he lived in a time that was obviously even less tolerant than today. It's an important aspect of this film and who Whale was.

I felt like the ending was fairly strong. While the most climactic moment was a bit odd and difficult to watch, its resolution explains a great deal about the characters and the story. It concluded in a very memorable way.

So, in conclusion, I enjoyed Gods and Monsters. It's a well made movie that gives you an intriguing look into a man whose achievements were important, yet has somewhat faded from the general population's memory or knowledge today. While the movie never wowed me or hit a deep emotional core, this is still a film that's well worth seeing. The only Academy Award it won was Best Adapted Screenplay, but it's very deserving of that award.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Hitchcock, Howards End, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein