What an annoying movie! Based on a novel, this film purports to be the story of James Whale, English film director, known for his Frankenstein movies of the 1930s. In real life, Whale may have been one whale of a nice person. But he's not portrayed here as such. Instead, as a white-haired old fuddy-duddy, fond of various liqueurs, and surrounded by stuffy old paintings, he comes across as self-centered, hoity-toity, and delusional, who likes to talk about himself and his past, in the presence of youthful male hunks.
With mostly interior settings and gobs of dialogue, mostly about bygone days, "Gods And Monsters" conveys a starchy, moldy, pompous look and feel. The camera is mostly static. The film is talky and tedious, with Whale's utterances being spoken as profound words from on high.
And there's nothing subtle about the characters or their motives, or the acting. In an early scene, a fully-dressed Whale (Ian McKellen) sits by the pool in the presence of a young male reporter, and insists that for each gossipy item revealed, the reporter must take off an item of clothing. "You're a dirty old man", says the reporter. Yes, and the film calls attention to Whale's lust over and over ... and over.
The Clayton Boone character, Whale's preferred boy-toy, played with annoyingly he-man macho by Brendan Fraser, makes it crystal clear that he's absolutely, totally straight. And Lynn Redgrave tries to steal the show with her hammy, mannered portrayal of Whale's maid, Hanna.
About as subtle as a sledgehammer, "Gods And Monsters" depicts Whale and his world in an all-or-nothing manner, as if the film were aimed at a mass audience that needs everything spelled out in black and white. Maybe that was the intent.
With mostly interior settings and gobs of dialogue, mostly about bygone days, "Gods And Monsters" conveys a starchy, moldy, pompous look and feel. The camera is mostly static. The film is talky and tedious, with Whale's utterances being spoken as profound words from on high.
And there's nothing subtle about the characters or their motives, or the acting. In an early scene, a fully-dressed Whale (Ian McKellen) sits by the pool in the presence of a young male reporter, and insists that for each gossipy item revealed, the reporter must take off an item of clothing. "You're a dirty old man", says the reporter. Yes, and the film calls attention to Whale's lust over and over ... and over.
The Clayton Boone character, Whale's preferred boy-toy, played with annoyingly he-man macho by Brendan Fraser, makes it crystal clear that he's absolutely, totally straight. And Lynn Redgrave tries to steal the show with her hammy, mannered portrayal of Whale's maid, Hanna.
About as subtle as a sledgehammer, "Gods And Monsters" depicts Whale and his world in an all-or-nothing manner, as if the film were aimed at a mass audience that needs everything spelled out in black and white. Maybe that was the intent.