moonspinner55 Review of Gods and Monsters

Gods and Monsters (1998)

Intriguing material rendered a bit flat by uncertain handling...

[6/10 · 30 September 2006]

Fictionalized account of the later years of gay film director James Whale, who, in the 1930s, directed "Frankenstein" and "Bride of Frankenstein". Here, Whale befriends his hunky, heterosexual groundskeeper (with the hilariously butch name of Clayton Boone) and hearkens back on his glory years in Hollywood. Arthouse hit was almost immediately overrated by critics and audiences eager to praise something that at least touched upon human frailties and emotional conflicts. It does manage moving moments, but Brenden Fraser's working-class caretaker is such a cliché by now--and Ian McKellan's attempts at seduction are so ham-handed--that the film occasionally verges on camp. Still, McKellan does interesting work in the lead and the picture has convincing atmosphere and nice attention to detail. Based on the novel "Father of Frankenstein" by Christopher Bram. Clive Barker was one of the producers. **1/2 from ****