:
Ian McKellen,
Ian McKellen,
Brendan Fraser,
more...
:
Bill Condon,
Bill Condon
see all cast/crew...
: 
: Universal Studios
: Drama, Gay & Lesbian, Features
: 105 min.
: English
: English, Spanish
see additional details...
This title is currently out of print.
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Gods and Monsters was promoted from the outset as an artistic drama, but the publicity tended to play coyly on the possibility of a homosexual romance between the retired film director James Whale, played by Ian McKellen and his hunky gardener Clayton Boone (Brendan Fraser). While the film does involve romance, the central relationship between the director and his gardener is about the development of a genuine friendship between two outwardly dissimilar but inwardly kindred spirits. In the story, Whale has been living for many years in peaceful, if not entirely contented retirement, under the loving and watchful eye of his contentious and argumentative Hungarian housekeeper (Lynn Redgrave). His earlier celebrity as the director of the original Frankenstein movie and its sequel, The Bride of Frankenstein, results in his being visited occasionally by disagreeable young men who have come to bask in the reminiscences of this creator of two "camp" classics. His reputation as a fairly outrageous homosexual comes into play here, when one particularly unpleasant and effeminate young man comes by seeking cinematic tidbits: the director challenges the boy to a game of stripping off one article of clothing for every revelation he shares about his moviemaking past. He had gotten the boy down to his briefs when he is stricken with one of his ever-recurring bouts of epilepsy, the result of a series of strokes. By way of contrast, while he is clearly interested in his gardener as a sex-object, gradually luring him into ever closer association, the openness and vulnerability of this awkwardly aggressive heterosexual boy inspires him to reveal the history of his heart. It turns out that, like the young man who is modeling for his supposed artworks, he came from a poor and difficult background. By the time naïve gardener learns of the director's homosexuality from the housekeeper, he has been drawn too deeply under the man's spell to stay away from their meetings for long. While the tension between the men never departs, a genuine relationship of caring develops between them. Meanwhile, Whale has been clearly observing the progressive deterioration of his mental faculties, and is increasingly being overwhelmed by vivid memories and visions. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
You might also enjoy:
The Bride of Frankenstein
See the real James Whale classic
Love and Death on Long Island
Underrated gem, similar unrequited love storyline but stands very well on its own
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| deep !
by alexjb
January 6, 2006 - 12:47 AM PST
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1 out of 1 members found this review helpful
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this is definitely an artistic drama, excellently done. admittedly, i came with low expectations, but i was totally drawn in and focused the whole time- a very pleasant surprise!
ian mckellan is brilliant, portraying the complexity of a highly intelligent, talented, accomplished man who's losing his mind post-stroke. brendan fraser gives the best performance that i've seen so far, and he does more than play dumb - he emotes a depth into his character that goes beyond the script. the viewer can feel that fraser's character feels a bond to mckellan's unlike any of his other relationships; enough for him to put aside his homophobia.
the two of them drive the film's intensity- while mckellan/whale is 80% of the plot focus, it wouldn't hold together without fraser/boon being convincing.
the characters' complexity is revealed in an un-rushed but very steady push towards a climax which brings the threads together excellently. we're questioning their precise motivations right up until that last scene- sex? love? father-figure? arm candy? companion?
visually, it's beautiful- the colors and framing of the scenes are much more eye-catching, and seemingly more controlled than is usual for a dialogue-heavy drama.
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| this is real art!
by lividsnails
April 1, 2005 - 7:21 AM PST
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0 out of 2 members found this review helpful
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At the end of this movie, you think so this is how you feel when you look at a great work of art and you see what beauty is. And this is how you feel when you look at this beautiful portrait of this man's life; you think this is what it means to have lived a well-composed life and this is what it is to be human and fully alive.
Brendan Frazier, playing handsome, young gardener, is the perfect actor for the role, easy to fall in love with, those expressive grey eyes! Such a listener!
And the soundtrack is really good.
But the hallmark of this movie is that you're left feeling like you have witnessed a work of art. The movie, the man, all of it. You are in the presence of gods and monsters.
Read more of my movie and book reviews on my blog Lucky White Girl |
| Well worth the rental
by Misshaped
March 19, 2004 - 2:16 PM PST
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2 out of 3 members found this review helpful
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| If you're a fan of Sir Ian McKellen, then you will definitely appreciate his performance as director James Whale. Lynn Redgrave does a mean Renfield impersonation and Brendan Fraser plays a buff Frankenstein. The blending of old movie clips and personal flashbacks makes this an interesting look into the closet of a forgotten director. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 7.06)
293 Votes
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