GODS AND MONSTERS Cast: Ian McKellen, Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave, Lolita Davidovich Director: Bill Condon Screenplay: Bill Condon based on the novel Father of Frankenstein by Christopher Bram Reviewed by Luke Buckmaster
On the Buckmaster scale of 0 stars (bomb), to 5 stars (a masterpiece): 4 and a half stars
Gods and Monsters is a vividly sketched character portrait of a man whose inner demons were as real to him as the monsters that he graced the world with. Director James Whale, whose emotional battles encompassed memories of trench warfare and an unsatisfying homosexual lifestyle, directed such film noir as Frankenstein, The Invisible Man and The Bride of Frankenstein. Whale, however, never became one of Hollywood's celebrated success stories, as he chose to leave the movie-making business after studio tampering made his expected masterpiece, Hello Out There, a laugh stock of the industry. He tried to isolate both his memories and his contacts, but was always remembered as the horror God who brought his memorable monsters to life.
In capturing Whale's deteriorating mind but vigorous spirit, director and writer Bill Condon (who adapted the screenplay from the novel Father of Frankenstein) succeeds magnificently, not without the essential central performance from Sir Ian McKellen, who was last seen in an equally impressive but slightly less captivating performance in Apt Pupil. Gods and Monsters wholly succeeds in being a character study and an examination of different levels in society. As Whale searches for a reason to either live or die, Condon doesn't fall into the trap of sensationalizing or simplifying. Like in life, all of his problems won't resolve themselves when he dies, and a life will not always end with redemption and courage. This is a very humane tale told with compassion and elegance, cynicism and poignancy, and the result is a film that has been created for those who want to take something with them when they leave the cinema.
Whale (Ian McKellen) is an elderly homosexual nearing the end of his life. He lives a solitary existence with housekeeper Hannah (Lynn Redgrave), heeding the pain of the after affects of a stroke. His memories are equipped with visions of happier times, as well as nightmares of the past that have not completely vanished. Whale befriends his new gardener Clay Boone (Brendan Fraser), and their relationship becomes a complicated comparison between the homosexual and the heterosexual, the rich and the poor. Boone is fascinated by Whale's experiences but at times repelled by his manipulative personality, admiring him but approaching their friendship hesitantly. Whale's motivations behind his relationship with Boone gradually become evident, whilst recollections of the movie-making business seem more and more distant.
It is easy to underestimate the depth of Whale and Boone's relationship. Social status and sexuality are two of the primary issues that are effortlessly studied, but Bill Condon had more in mind than that. The very reason behind Whale's existence is challenged again and again, not only by his disturbing recollections of terrible times, but mainly an emotional-by-play that allows McKellen and Fraser to play off each other beautifully. McKellen's powerhouse performance is definitely an entertaining one, and he also handles his darker, more provocative material with the care and skill that only experience can generate. Fraser gives an exceptional performance in his first dramatic role, working as a counterpart to Whale's complicated personality, and delivers charisma as though it were something second nature. Although his very masculine appearance was no doubt a prerequisite for his casting, there is also a non-sexual seductiveness in his performance that makes his character entirely likable but never typecast or stereotypical.
The screenplay seamlessly integrates stories of power, reliance, individual growth, and so much more. Perhaps most impressive is the way that Gods and Monsters develops its protagonist. The film carefully shapes Boone as a person that we are not entirely at ease with, yet his social mannerisms and eccentric personality are developed with startling realism. It is hard to criticize a film that works on as many levels as this one, and delivers the goods on so many different occasions, ranging from its bizarrely comic opening to its unsettling and thought-provoking climax.
One dream sequence near the film's conclusion, in which Fraser and McKellen play Frankenstein and his evil master, is amongst one of the most effectively staged scenes I've seen this year. Like this powerful metaphorical moment, Gods and Monsters not only gives its material the wit and intelligence it deserves, but rises above expectations by generating a curious fascination from its characters. Although James Whale's reputation has never been completely intact, Gods and Monsters goes to the heart of one of Hollywood's greatest misfits with unflinching detail.
Read more of my reviews at In Film Australia http://infilmau.iah.net
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