The father of Frankenstein, James Whale, has had a stroke. Now, the aging director is slowly losing his mind, flashing back to a battle in the Great War where he lost his first love, another soldier, and he knows it. Still, he keeps a high attitude, setting his eyes on the handsome ex-Marine that has been hired to work on his garden. Over time, he produces a relationship with the gardener, Clayton Boone. Boone, several times, is offended by Whale's homosexual tendencies, but is still drawn back for some reason. But Whale is looking for something deeper than Boone's looks, and the truth is frightening.

MOVIE REVIEW

Gods and Monsters explores the last days of James Whale, the director that brought to film such movies as Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, and so forth.  He is homosexual and makes a game of it, seducing young men to take their clothes off for a variety of reason. But his eyes fall on his new gardener, Boone, played by Brendan Fraser. Fraser, known for such goofy films as George of the Jungle and The Mummy takes a turn to the dramatic side for this role. He still maintains his charm and charismatic features, but also shows that he can really act when a good script is presented to him. Ian McKellen got an Academy nomination for his portrayal of James Whale, and is well deserving. He plays perfectly a rigid old man with a quest, even if his character is disturbing. The best performance, however, is that of Lynne Redgrave, who also received a nomination as Hannah, Whale's sarcastic and overly cautious maid. She is hilarious, and a good addition to the film.
Read our Gods and Monsters movie review »