The film clearly belongs to McKellen, whose presence is what makes the film as affecting at it is.
Gods and Monsters (1998)
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Reviews Counted:45
Fresh:43
Rotten:2
Average Rating:8.3/10
Consensus: Gods and Monsters is a spellbinding, confusing piece of semi-fiction, featuring fine performances; McKellen leads the way, but Redgrave and Fraser don't lag far behind.
Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Based on Christopher Bram's novel FATHER OF FRANKENSTEIN, Bill Condon's semi-fictional 1998 sleeper stars Sir Ian McKellen in a fantastic performance as director James Whale (FRANKENSTEIN, BRIDE OF... Based on Christopher Bram's novel FATHER OF FRANKENSTEIN, Bill Condon's semi-fictional 1998 sleeper stars Sir Ian McKellen in a fantastic performance as director James Whale (FRANKENSTEIN, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, SHOW BOAT). It is 1957, and Whale is living in semiseclusion in Southern California with his scrutinizing maid, Hannah (Lynn Redgrave). His health is failing, and he is able to do little but lounge around and contemplate his younger days--his many male loves, his days in WWI, and the film world that has forsaken him. When Whale first gazes upon his musclebound gardener, Clay (Brendan Fraser), however, it is the beginning of an unusual (and platonic) friendship. Seasoned with multiple flashbacks to the sets of his films and to the battlefield, GODS AND MONSTERS is a haunting and touching look at the life of a man who was at the top of the Hollywood hierarchy but soon found himself out of favor--and the offbeat friendship he formed in his final days. McKellen and Redgrave were both nominated for Oscars, and the film garnered one statue for Best Adapted Screenplay. [More]
Starring: Ian McKellen, Lynn Redgrave, Brendan Fraser, Lolita Davidovich
Starring: Ian McKellen, Lynn Redgrave, Brendan Fraser, Lolita Davidovich, David Dukes, Kevin J. O'Connor
Director: Bill Condon
Director: Bill Condon
Screenwriter: Bill Condon
Composer: Carter Burwell
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Reviews for Gods and Monsters
Condon's indie is narrwoly focused in depicting James Whale's personal and professional frustrations as an old man, but Ian McKellen, who must have felt strong affinity with the openly gay director, gives an astonishingly sophisticated performance.
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