Synopsis
It's 1957, and James Whale's heyday as the director of "Frankenstein," "Bride of Frankenstein" and "The Invisible Man" is long behind him. Retired and a semi-recluse, he lives his days accompanied only by images from his past. When his dour housekeeper, Hannah, hires a handsome young gardener, the flamboyant director and simple yard man develop an unlikely friendship, which will change them forever.
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Cast
- Ian McKellenJames Whale
- Brendan FraserClayton Boone
- Lynn RedgraveHanna
- Lolita DavidovichBetty
- David DukesDavid Lewis
- Kevin J. O'ConnorHarry
- Mark KielyDwight
- Jack PlotnickEdmund Kay
- Rosalind AyresElsa Lanchester
- Jack BettsBoris Karloff
Recommendations
- 100
San Francisco Examiner
One of the most complex and powerful literary scripts in recent times. - 80
Variety
Doesn’t always convince, particularly in the last lap. But it’s an engrossing, unusual, imaginatively executed bit of psychological gamesmanship nonetheless. - 80
L.A. Weekly
Curiously, one of the film's stranger effects is that it's more convincing as a meditation on desire and Hollywood than as a biographical exploration. - 75
Chicago Sun-Times
Gods and Monsters is not a deep or powerful film, but it is a good-hearted one. - 75
ReelViews
A rich, multi- layered portrait of a director from Hollywood's Golden Age whose own life was as interesting as any of his movies. - 70
Film.com
Beyond the fantastic contrivances of Gods and Monsters, these performances are startlingly human. - 70
The A.V. Club
While McKellen's sharp performance provides the main attraction, the film wouldn't work without both Fraser, who brings something extra to a character who could easily have been a mere lunk, and director Bill Condon's careful integration of larger themes. - 63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
As a portrait of a deliciously eccentric individual, Gods and Monsters features a vivid performance from Ian McKellen that makes you think not of James Whale but of Ian McKellen.
