this was originally written for the Underrated Actor write-off I hosted last year. Brendan Fraser was my pick...perhaps I should host another one...
Isn't Ian McKellan cool? I mean for real...think about it. What other actor can gain the respect of the Queen of England (which to some, is pretty darn cool), Shakespearan actors, and pop culture geeks? Really, who else can be equally as believable in movies as different as Apt Pupil and X-men or Six Degrees of Separation and the The Lord of the Rings trilogy?
No one.
That said. Gods and Monsters. I love this movie. I had known nothing about James Whale before seeing it and I still know nothing about him. This film is a rumination on what could have happened in James Whale's last days, using information about his personality and his own films as a framework for the story. There is something fascinating about films that mess with history intentionally (like this and Shakespeare in Love) and really try and get at the essence of some facet of history or historical figure. Conversely, there is something maddening and insulting about biopics that just f*ck it up either out of ignorance or neglect. Besides the point.
Gods and Monsters is a film about relationships. Redemption. Last chances for life before death. It is about art. All these things wrapped up in a nice little bow, and yet on some level we know there is no happy ending. Not really. It is too complex for that.
Plot?
James Whale (McKellan), the director of the Frankenstein movies, is living in considerable anonymity after suffering a stroke that causes him to have hallucinations and, momentarily, renders him incapacitated. He spends his time hitting on the occasional visitor and driving his housekeeper, Hanna (Lynn Redgrave) crazy. But when a new gardener, Clayton Boone (Brendan Fraser), shows up Whale is forced to come to terms with his life and his lust.
What drives this film is the dual nature of the Whale/Clay relationship. The god/monster metaphor works in two ways here. One, that Whale is the god creating film characters, his monsters as a release from his own demons and tortured past...Clayton is, in a way, his last monster. And two, that Clayton is as much a god (and Whale the monster) in that Clayton becomes an ideal and a point of aspiration for a man that has lusted and been a slave (monster) to the idea and form of the male body for most of his adult life.
Ian McKellan (who was nominated for an Oscar...deservedly) is simply superb. He manages to not over play the fey aspects of Whale and at the same time captures the inner turmoil of a man who though he was "out" never really reconciled himself to the ramifications (cultural and other) of his lifestyle. Clayton confounds him and intrigues him, but his overpowering lust for him is where McKellan shines. He shares a lazy kind of chemistry with Fraser, where they seem to repel at the right times (lots of tension) and connect deeply at others. McKellan captures the fun playful wry sense of humor of Whale as well. The first scene with the reporter is hilarious.
Brendan Fraser's performance here is stellar. Clayton is a complex character and, in many ways, the centerpiece of the film. The ultimate Godmonster. He drives and entices Whale, but unintentionally, resulting in his confusion throughout the film. Clayton is scripted as a simple man, not dumb, but a man with low bullsh*t tolerance and lives day to day. He is also a charmer, shown beautifully in his love/hate relationship with Lolita Davidovich's character (her first truly good performance). That he deliberately tries to mask his charm with a kind of affable coldness with Whale, amuses Whale and is the source of much tension. Fraser is able to fully embody all of Clayton's quirks and his contradictions effortlessly. Truly astonishing work!
Everyone else is equally good, but the film is essentially a two character piece. One could say that Lynn Redgrave's Hanna is the moral compass of the film, but thankfully that is never explored. She even says that it bothers her that Whale won't go to heaven because he is a homosexual. It is a small point, but Redgrave's character has a small revealing moment there and it is nice. I don't particularly think this is all that important but it is interesting that Bill Condon decided to put her in the film in that capacity. It is worth noting that even in a movie that deals frankly with sexuality there is still that nagging cultural need to preface it or shield it in a cloak (be it religion etc).
I highly recommend this film because the insight into platonic (or seemingly platonic, take your pick) male relationships is truly nuanced and fascinating.
Ian McKellen portrays Hollywood horror director James Whale. Long after directing Frankenstein, Whale has retired into seclusion, haunted by his past....More at HotMovieSale.com
The year is 1957, and the brilliant and once-celebrated director James Whale (Ian McKellen), who helmed the classic films Frankenstein, Invisible Man,...More at Buy.com
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.