Gods and Monsters (1998)

Gee, where should I begin? It's a character study -- but on what subject? About a man who came to gay awareness far too late to benefit from the gay lib movement? About an artist whose greatest achievements depended on extinguishing all connections between the personal and the political? All of the above and so much more!

Personally, I'd give the Oscar to Brendan Fraser, who has a much more challenging role as the understated, naturalistic yard man, though Ian McKellan gives such a commanding performance that he's bound to play a prominent role at every award ceremony. If he's dissed because the love interest is gay, it's only the proof gay activists have long sought -- namely, that peronal respect is sexually conditioned.

All in all a wonderful film for anyone who loves great acting and a director willing to push the envelope. It's a terrific look at the ways life has shaped all of our beliefs.

Harry

Fmovies: From the opening credits to the (mostly) predictable climax, Bill Condon's film is a technical masterpiece and an excellent bit of arthouse fodder to boot.

The title, which comes from James Whale's classic film Bride Of Frankenstein, refers to the gods and monsters living in our lives and vicariously in our close associates' lives.

Condon has done a remarkable job editing in flashbacks, and the sketchy oblique, often contrasted shots pay great homage to Whale's early Universal pictures.

The story is a simple one: James Whale (Ian MacKellan), famed director, has had a stroke and is slowly dying. He is a lonely man in need of companionship and inner peace. He tries to find this solace in Clay Boone (Brendan Fraser, in a rare serious role), his yardman. The blossoming relationship between the two is the plot focus of the film.

Carter Burwell's score is wonderful as always, and Lynn Redgrave's role as Whale's housemaid is superbly put on. A great movie for any fans of the late Whale, or anyone looking for a true human drama.

I would run out of adjectives if I tried to convey the magnificence of this film in written form. Every single aspect of it is simply superb; from more technical aspects like the photography, the editing, the music, to Bill Condon's wonderful screenplay and direction, and the extraordinary performances by all three leads, it's nothing short of astounding. If it was me giving out the Oscars this would have swept the board. This is one of the works of art that the 90s should be remembered for.

The marvellous tale of how an old, homosexual, educated genius, in the twilight of his life, with a glorious past but also terrible ghosts, first tries to court but ultimately becomes a friend of a simple, young, good hearted man and opens his eyes and his mind with his stories and memories, becoming the turning point of his life, is gripping and moving beyond belief.

Arthouse it may be, due to its reduced budget and complex content, but I can't understand how anyone could fail to be touched by this deeply human story, no matter his or her tastes. I recommend it to anyone who loves sublime cinema.

Gods and Monsters fmovies. Gods and Monsters

This human drama by talented director Bill Condon is an emotional masterpiece! Based from Christopher Bram's novel, Gods and Monsters depicts the last days of famed director James Whales and his flourishing relationship with his gardener Clayton Boone. Ian McKellen plays the ill-fated director haunted by painful memories of the past while Brendan Fraser, in a very serious role, is the man from which Whales finds peace.

Director Bill Condon is especially remarkable with his use of flashbacks to delineate James Whales' haunting past and imageries from the late director's own creations. He makes his audiences feel the growing bond between Whales and Boone, and effectively touches his audiences during the director's tragic end. Though this episode is a predictable story, it makes us explore within ourselves the Gods and Monsters of our lives.

I'm surprised that the Academy ignored Ian McKellen and Brendan Fraser for their extremely fine performances. Ian McKellen gives an outstanding performance as the late director while Brendan Fraser fully shines in the film's climax. Lynn Redgrave is also commendable for her light performance as Hanna, the maid.

This is superbly recommended for anyone looking for a film loaded with emotions

The plot summary for Gods and Monsters states that it follows the last days of horror director James Whale, but it shouldn't be thought of as a biopic; it manages to avoid almost every pitfall suffered by most movies of that genre, except for one - predictability. The film is very predictable every step of the way, even if you know absolutely nothing about Whale's life or death, you can tell very early on exactly how it's going to end. It doesn't matter, though, because Gods and Monsters isn't about the story; it's an art-house piece and a character study, an exploration of a complex personality and, above all, a remarkably beautiful film.

Like any biographical film, Gods and Monsters relies heavily on one powerful lead actor; Ian McKellen gives one of the best performances of his career as James Whale, with whom he clearly felt a certain bond. McKellen puts his whole into the film and creates real sympathy for Whale. Fantastic as he is, though, it's not a one man show; gorgeous editing that manages to organically combine flashbacks with loving references to Whale's own early films, creates a strong sense of atmosphere that Whale himself would have been proud of. Gods and Monsters is a natural companion piece to Ed Wood and Shadow of the Vampire, but it's by far the most brooding, subtle, thought-provoking one of the trio. As for supporting cast - Lynn Redgrave is fantastic in a small but memorable part as Whale's maid; Brendan Fraser, on the other hand, plays a very generic character, mostly there as an avatar for the viewer, and though his performance is decent, it's not by any means impressive, and he gets a little too much screen time, taking the film down just a notch from masterpiece status.

It is difficult to sort out the same-sex personalities within this film. The only flamboyantly feminine male portrayal appears almost immediately, in the personality of the young man who interviews Whale, gushing over the early horror films, but wanting to know almost nothing about Whale the man; only slightly taken aback by Whale's demand that he remove one item of clothing in exchange for an answer to each question he asks. It seemed clear to me that Whale is just playing with him, and has no real interest in him as a partner. The same young man appears once more as "assistant to the social secretary" of George Cukor, whom Whale has identified as homosexual, who has arranged to have Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester at Cukor's party so that he can arrange a photo of Whale with "his two monsters"; a continuation of his earlier appearance. Whale is the prototype effete not flamboyant British arts based homosexual,in the manner of a Noel Coward or John Gielgud. He does not attempt to hide his same-sex preference from either the reporter or the young gardener whom he "courts". It interested me that when he joined the Marines, to please his father, he never saw combat, whereas Whale did during World War I, where, the film and the dialogue tell us, he first fell in love with a man, a fellow soldier, whose face, remarkable similar to the gardener's, appears periodically throughout the film. The third image of homosexuality appears in the characterization of Brendon Frasier as the gardener. Every man who has had a poor father relationship will often have deep rooted questions about his own masculinity. We see this in his being intermittently drawn toward, then repulsed by Whale's homosexuality. I have seen this ambivalence enacted on a number of occasions in male figuratively "fatherless" students, seeking a close relationship with an older man. In the midst of their developing relationship a brief scene informs us that he may have had relations with a waitress, who does not share his admiration for the original "Frankenstein"; and in an epilogue we see him as husband and father; however, walking in silhouette into the distance as did Karloff in the film. Does this imply that he is the monster? Some reviewers for IMDb have concluded that Whale is himself the monster? Who is the monster? Or is it no one individual in the film? At one point it is suggested that we are all monsters, both desiring friendship and destroying those to whom we reach out but who can never satisfy our inmost needs. A fascinating film that will be in my mind for many weeks or months, as I attempt to sort it all out.