Amazon.co.uk Review
One of the most critically acclaimed films of 1998 and winner of several awards including the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, Gods and Monsters is a compassionate speculation about the final days of James Whale (1889-1957), the director of Frankenstein and 20 other films of the 1930s and 40s, who was openly gay at a time when homosexuality in Hollywood was discreetly concealed.
Adapted and directed by Bill Condon from Christopher Bram's novel Father of Frankenstein,the film stars Ian McKellen in a sublime performance as the white-haired Whale, who is portrayed as a dapper gent and amateur artist prompted by failing health into melancholy remembrance of things past. Flashbacks of lost love, World War I battle trauma and glory days in Hollywood combine with Whale's present-day attraction to a newly hired yard worker (Brendan Fraser) whose hunky, Frankenstein-like physique makes him an ideal model for Whale's fixated sketching.
The friendship between the handsome gardener and his elderly gay admirer is by turns tenuous, humorous, mutually beneficial and ultimately rather sad--but to Condon's credit Whale is never seen as pathetic, lecherous or senile. Equally rich is the rapport between Whale and his long-time housekeeper (played with wry sarcasm by Lynn Redgrave), who serves as protector, mother and even surrogate spouse while Whale's mental state deteriorates. Flashbacks to Whale's film-making days are painstakingly authentic (particularly in the casting of look-alike actors playing Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester), and all of these ingredients combine to make Gods and Monsters (executive produced by horror novelist-film maker Clive Barker) a touchingly affectionate film that succeeds on many levels. It is at once a keen glimpse of Hollywood's past, a loving tribute to James Whale and a richly moving, delicately balanced drama about loneliness, memory and the passions that keep us alive. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
a good show .......2007-11-06
a sure fire success of its day,Gods and monsters is a film that charters the last days of film director james whale,who made 30 odd films,the most established being the frankenstein movies,this film deals with the last tormented days of the director,with flashbacks of the making of the films that kept him in peoples minds,along with the loss of love during world war one,whales was a homosexual at a time when that wasnt spoke of as frequently as today,and this led to his infatuation with an ex marine,now gardener played by brendan fraser who certainly showcases that he can act along with such established company.
The film is sad and gloomy but never leaves its heart there to be dissected,its a film of good substance and while some licence has been afforded what you get is a fine tribute to a man that wore his pain openly but had plenty of character and dignity at the same time,a good film.
A counterbalance.......2005-09-17
I saw this film and liked it very much. I don't want to post a review, just put in my five stars worth to correct the mistake of the last reviewer who gave it a five star review but only one star. Some mistake, surely?!
Gods and Monsters exist only in the head.......2004-03-17
I saw this film late one night when it happened to be on TV - I had never heard of it before - and I was stunned by its beauty and profundity. Brandon Fraser's acting was superb as he played a confused young man initially threatened by the homosexuality of an older one who becomes his mentor and in the end by confronting his homophobia becomes capable of having a meaningful and loving relationhip with a woman - becoming a husband and father. The metaphor of homophobia really directs us to a wider issue - that of dealing with what we fear and worship as mere shadows of who we are. A profoundly moving film.
Agreeably different.......2004-01-17
An interesting, sometimes disturbing and sometimes moving film about the director responsible for a number of old horror films, including 'Frankenstein' and 'The Bride of Frankenstein' - James Whale. The film starts and finishes at the end of the his life, 15 years after the end of his directing career, but some of the important parts of his earlier life are covered in brief flashbacks and conversations with his gardener, Clay Boone. The roles of Whale (played by Ian McKellen), the gardener, Boone (played by Brendan Fraser) and the housekeeper, Hanna (played by Lynn Redgrave) were acted very convincingly. The young Elizabeth Taylor and elderly Boris Karloff appeared at a party and the actors playing their parts looked exactly like them. There was only one really terrible, unconvincing actress in the film and she was playing Princess Margaret - absolutely nothing like Princess Margaret. The last films I saw Ian McKellen and Brendan Fraser in, were Lord of the Rings and George of the Jungle. The parts of Gandalf and George are so completely different to Whale and Boone, that it's hard to imagine that they could be played by the same actors - and that just goes to show what excellent actors they are. It was hard for me to believe that the dour and disapproving Hanna was the attractive Lynn Redgrave.
Whale, a gay old gentleman, now afflicted with illness, but still in possession of a vigorous imagination and possibly (how does that song go?) "a mind that makes promises the body can't fill", lures Boone into his 'parlour' as a spider does a fly. It seems his intentions aren't entirely honourable. Boone is not absolutely uncomplicated himself, but he's not homosexual. The housekeeper knows her employer's game and huffs and tuts her reproach at every opportunity. Boone is innocent and unsuspecting and he admires Whale and is flattered by his attention. There are some tense moments when Boone becomes aware and Whale causes outrage. The worst of these horrors pass. They are both fairly sensitive souls under their sometimes brusque exteriors, and come to a point where they respect each other - although Whale continues to push his luck. The impression is given, that if Whale had not come to the end of his life, he and Boone could have become friends. His encounter with Whale and Whale's passing, is a sort of rite of passage for Boone. So, not an action movie - but a satisfying and thought provoking film.
A masterclass in acting from McKellen.......2003-07-20
I first saw this film a few years ago, and have since seen it again around 2-3 times. Upon noticing only 2 customer reviews at Amazon's UK site, I was prompted into writing this short review.
I was drawn to watching this movie after seeing Ian McKellen's great performance in the underrated "Apt pupil" (worth checking out if you haven't already seen it). However, McKellen takes it to a whole other level here, giving a tour de force in acting. Even Brendan Fraser, playing a very important role in the movie, shows acting skills not evident in most of his other work. I'm sure that this movie will be a career high for Brendan, and the director Bill Condon done well to get the performance out of him. Another fairly important part goes to Lynn Redgrave, who also does a fantastic job.
I suppose Gods and monsters can be described as an art house movie, and is indeed slow in places, but this is intentional and whilst it may limit the film's potential audience, it certainly isn't a negative criticism on my part. You should just sit back, relax, enjoy the unique friendship between McKellen and Fraser, and savour the quality of acting on show, especially of that from Mckellen.
Amazon.co.uk Review
One of the most critically acclaimed films of 1998 and winner of several awards including the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, Gods and Monsters is a compassionate speculation about the final days of James Whale (1889-1957), the director of Frankenstein and 20 other films of the 1930s and 40s, who was openly gay at a time when homosexuality in Hollywood was discreetly concealed.
Adapted and directed by Bill Condon from Christopher Bram's novel Father of Frankenstein,the film stars Ian McKellen in a sublime performance as the white-haired Whale, who is portrayed as a dapper gent and amateur artist prompted by failing health into melancholy remembrance of things past. Flashbacks of lost love, World War I battle trauma and glory days in Hollywood combine with Whale's present-day attraction to a newly hired yard worker (Brendan Fraser) whose hunky, Frankenstein-like physique makes him an ideal model for Whale's fixated sketching.
The friendship between the handsome gardener and his elderly gay admirer is by turns tenuous, humorous, mutually beneficial and ultimately rather sad--but to Condon's credit Whale is never seen as pathetic, lecherous or senile. Equally rich is the rapport between Whale and his long-time housekeeper (played with wry sarcasm by Lynn Redgrave), who serves as protector, mother and even surrogate spouse while Whale's mental state deteriorates. Flashbacks to Whale's film-making days are painstakingly authentic (particularly in the casting of look-alike actors playing Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester), and all of these ingredients combine to make Gods and Monsters (executive produced by horror novelist-film maker Clive Barker) a touchingly affectionate film that succeeds on many levels. It is at once a keen glimpse of Hollywood's past, a loving tribute to James Whale and a richly moving, delicately balanced drama about loneliness, memory and the passions that keep us alive. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
a good show .......2007-11-06
a sure fire success of its day,Gods and monsters is a film that charters the last days of film director james whale,who made 30 odd films,the most established being the frankenstein movies,this film deals with the last tormented days of the director,with flashbacks of the making of the films that kept him in peoples minds,along with the loss of love during world war one,whales was a homosexual at a time when that wasnt spoke of as frequently as today,and this led to his infatuation with an ex marine,now gardener played by brendan fraser who certainly showcases that he can act along with such established company.
The film is sad and gloomy but never leaves its heart there to be dissected,its a film of good substance and while some licence has been afforded what you get is a fine tribute to a man that wore his pain openly but had plenty of character and dignity at the same time,a good film.
A counterbalance.......2005-09-17
I saw this film and liked it very much. I don't want to post a review, just put in my five stars worth to correct the mistake of the last reviewer who gave it a five star review but only one star. Some mistake, surely?!
Gods and Monsters exist only in the head.......2004-03-17
I saw this film late one night when it happened to be on TV - I had never heard of it before - and I was stunned by its beauty and profundity. Brandon Fraser's acting was superb as he played a confused young man initially threatened by the homosexuality of an older one who becomes his mentor and in the end by confronting his homophobia becomes capable of having a meaningful and loving relationhip with a woman - becoming a husband and father. The metaphor of homophobia really directs us to a wider issue - that of dealing with what we fear and worship as mere shadows of who we are. A profoundly moving film.
Agreeably different.......2004-01-17
An interesting, sometimes disturbing and sometimes moving film about the director responsible for a number of old horror films, including 'Frankenstein' and 'The Bride of Frankenstein' - James Whale. The film starts and finishes at the end of the his life, 15 years after the end of his directing career, but some of the important parts of his earlier life are covered in brief flashbacks and conversations with his gardener, Clay Boone. The roles of Whale (played by Ian McKellen), the gardener, Boone (played by Brendan Fraser) and the housekeeper, Hanna (played by Lynn Redgrave) were acted very convincingly. The young Elizabeth Taylor and elderly Boris Karloff appeared at a party and the actors playing their parts looked exactly like them. There was only one really terrible, unconvincing actress in the film and she was playing Princess Margaret - absolutely nothing like Princess Margaret. The last films I saw Ian McKellen and Brendan Fraser in, were Lord of the Rings and George of the Jungle. The parts of Gandalf and George are so completely different to Whale and Boone, that it's hard to imagine that they could be played by the same actors - and that just goes to show what excellent actors they are. It was hard for me to believe that the dour and disapproving Hanna was the attractive Lynn Redgrave.
Whale, a gay old gentleman, now afflicted with illness, but still in possession of a vigorous imagination and possibly (how does that song go?) "a mind that makes promises the body can't fill", lures Boone into his 'parlour' as a spider does a fly. It seems his intentions aren't entirely honourable. Boone is not absolutely uncomplicated himself, but he's not homosexual. The housekeeper knows her employer's game and huffs and tuts her reproach at every opportunity. Boone is innocent and unsuspecting and he admires Whale and is flattered by his attention. There are some tense moments when Boone becomes aware and Whale causes outrage. The worst of these horrors pass. They are both fairly sensitive souls under their sometimes brusque exteriors, and come to a point where they respect each other - although Whale continues to push his luck. The impression is given, that if Whale had not come to the end of his life, he and Boone could have become friends. His encounter with Whale and Whale's passing, is a sort of rite of passage for Boone. So, not an action movie - but a satisfying and thought provoking film.
A masterclass in acting from McKellen.......2003-07-20
I first saw this film a few years ago, and have since seen it again around 2-3 times. Upon noticing only 2 customer reviews at Amazon's UK site, I was prompted into writing this short review.
I was drawn to watching this movie after seeing Ian McKellen's great performance in the underrated "Apt pupil" (worth checking out if you haven't already seen it). However, McKellen takes it to a whole other level here, giving a tour de force in acting. Even Brendan Fraser, playing a very important role in the movie, shows acting skills not evident in most of his other work. I'm sure that this movie will be a career high for Brendan, and the director Bill Condon done well to get the performance out of him. Another fairly important part goes to Lynn Redgrave, who also does a fantastic job.
I suppose Gods and monsters can be described as an art house movie, and is indeed slow in places, but this is intentional and whilst it may limit the film's potential audience, it certainly isn't a negative criticism on my part. You should just sit back, relax, enjoy the unique friendship between McKellen and Fraser, and savour the quality of acting on show, especially of that from Mckellen.
UK DVD:
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