Rating: 
Summary: Ian McKellen is magnificent
Review: His Jimmy Whale lingers on long after the final fade-out. I don't think I'll ever forget him. Certain impressions stand out especially. Bright little Jimmy sold into factory servitude by his ignorant parents. Young man Jimmy scarred forever by the horrors of WWI trench warfare. He tells Clay (Fraser is his perfect foil) the story of his handsome young friend whose dead body got caught on the barbed wire of no-man's land and hung there grotesquely for weeks, months until, rather than go mad at the sight, Jimmy and his comrades made jokes about it. His background for horror was all too legitimate.McKellen's performance is so nuanced and delicate he can project the gamut of emotions from classic tragedy to high comedy with no more than a wry half smile, the tilt of his head, a look of nostalgic regret. He is an actor without peer past, present, and in all likelihood future. That gentle, deeply felt films like this can still be made and find an audience bodes well for the world. Congratulations and thanks to everyone involved in this magical production.
Rating: 
Summary: "Years later...when you talk about this...and you will..."
Review: This is a very good film...moving and insightful
in many ways...but also somehow limited...while,
perhaps, its heart seems to be trying to be in
the right place concerning relationship, friendship,
love...it is all told in a context of the very
mannerisms and affectations and "fairy"-tale
ambience that all too many non-sensitive,
all-too-prone-to-misunderstand persons will take
to be the "justification" for their dislike,
phobia, and sickened disdain...
And perhaps it is trying to do too much...the
love and loss of the character Whale for his
friend who died in the trenches of World War I
while Whale survived...and lived...and longed...
and felt guilt...and loss...is insightful...but
gets all tangled with that suffocating gas-mask
scene with the Clay character...and Whale comes
off as being bizarre, if not mad...
The ending is not satisfying to me...the Clay
character just "has to" be shown to have made
it through the encounter "safely" straight... married...with a kid...who can say that he knew
the director of the movie "Frankenstein"...then
walk out in the rain and pretend to be the
Frankenstein monster...and seem to be laughing
at himself...I should have thought that a more
meaningful ending would have been if he had
stood there in the rain...not acting like some
nut-case stalking around in the rain like a
monster...but thinking about that driven,
haunted man he had known...and if it had not
been beyond his "macho" powers, to have wept
a tear or two to mingle with the rain drops
streaming down his cheeks...
But maybe sensitivity...and even this fairly
moving film are not the way to go...there are
other films that speak about oppression and
misunderstanding better... the original
"Planet of the Apes" is a very good
film about an oppressive society...just turn
it into an allegory about those who are
expected, if not forced, to be "mute"
in society...but there is also the
film "Another Country" (1985), which unfortunately,
does not seem to be available on video any
longer...it is a beautifully done film...but
makes its point about society and its intolerance
just as well...
Rating:
Summary: This movie deserved all the awards that it received
Review: As another reviewer said,this is a haunting movie....it's hard to stop thinking about it.Ian McKellen,Brendan Fraser,& Lynn Redgrave are all sublime.The main storyline is about the unusual friendship that develops between the heterosexual younger man and the homosexual older man.This is one of those movies where you become involved with the characters,and you feel the emotions that they are feeling.My emotions ran the gamut from laughter,to tears,with a few in between,mostly tears.I highly recommend this movie,but make sure to have Kleenex handy.
Rating:
Summary: More than perfect
Review: This movie is a masterpiece. IMHO, it is flawless in every aspect. Words cannot describe how wonderful these actors are. Ian McKellen has definitely dominated the show. He is like a beautiful centerpiece that is made of diamond. I couldn't move my eyes away from him. And Brendan Fraser is equally good; his strength is not a bit weaker than his counterpart. That is admirable. Finally, Lynn Redgrave, she has shone through the whole movie. She's perfect. The story telling is magically, the director, the screenwriter, the musician; the whole production team has done an incredible work to bring this tragedy story to live. These people are brilliant; they know their stuff; they know life; there is no doubt about that. What amazes me is that they also have a loving heart and that makes this movie extra special.
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece
Review: I was deeply moved by it. I couldn't help myself not thinking about it all day. This movie is rich; it carries layers of layers of emotions. The love, joy, fear, anger and sadness that everyone would experience in life (regardless one's sexual preference, mind you) ' are all embedded in this masterpiece. The story is about an old man who was once brilliant but was unavoidably losing control of his mind and eventually his livelihood to the darkness of death. It is about a rootless young man who was too nice to live up to the tough guy's image that was imposed upon him by many people including his new friend and finally found his confidence in life through his good heart. It is about a brave woman that loved her master so much and was willing to do anything to protect him even after he died. Ultimately it is about compassion. I found compassion in the characters of Clay Boone and Hanna. Their affection to Mr. Jimmy is pure gold and it touches my heart with its mighty power. Mr. Jimmy was indeed a lucky man.
Rating:
Summary: PROMETHEUS AGAIN?
Review: There's an odd litle remark overheard at the funeral of late costume designer extraordinaire Edith Head, Miss Bette Davis was heard to have said "Hollywood has lost another Great Queen" - great [albeit controlled] consternation followed, until one blade realised that Miss Davis was eulogizing Miss Head....cut! SAY what they will about the late James Whale , 'twas a nasty little village back then - same applies today. [Film Pioneer, and inspiration for Tennessee Williams, Alla Nazimova is another example.] This superb reflection in the golden hues of Tinseltown stays long after the final credits have rolled. Absolute Award winning performances by Ian McKellen [James Whale], Lynn Redgrave [unrecognisable as the trusty maid Hanna - she does this unforgettable "thing" with eggs!] and Brendan Fraser as "much more than just a pretty thing". Based on Christopher Bram's "Father of Frankenstein" we visit Mr. Whale late in life, somewhere between the "40 and death" range, caught in between his haunted worlds. It's a very disturbing and moving experience, another "killing of a Unicorn" by its mates. The Hollywood buddy system is very unsympathetically betrayed, but then what's new? Would love to see a release of Mr. Whales 1937 "The Road Back" [the anti-nazi vehicle, "canned" by the studio]. He also gave us the definitive "Showboat" [1936] with glorious Irene Dunne. This movie reminds one oddly of "Spirit of the Beehive" also "The Loved One" - both well worth watching.
Rating:
Summary: Totally absorbing and completely real
Review: This film really surprised me! I wasn't sure what to expect when I put it in the DVD player, but I am quite sure that I was not able to go to sleep without seeing the ending -- which is pretty rare for me. It is a fascinating portrayal of a very real relationship between two very different men: a brilliant film director, British, born in poverty, who is facing an unimaginable mental deterioration, and a young American working in his yard. The older man is gay and the younger one is straight, and lots of sparks fly while working that out, but another factor is at work here: the young American's girlfriends are treating him like trash, and the older film director is the only person who listens to him and treats him with any kindness or sympathy. And so you are drawn in to the film, wanting to know how this is going to work out. The acting is of the highest quality throughout. This film is so good I'm thinking of buying it. Highest recommendation!
Rating: 
Summary: YYYYAAAAWWWWNNNN
Review: What in the hell was this???? I rented this mostly because of Brenden Fraser and based on the few reviews I read. I guess I should have read more of them, and I'm glad I'm not the only one who found this movie a total bore. I was hoping it would get better, maybe a surprise scene in the middle or the end of the movie but it never happened! That's two hours of my life that I'll never get back.
Rating:
Summary: A must have movie
Review: That's a great movie.. Ian McKellen is superb I am sure that you will love it..
Rating:
Summary: A moving drama that evokes old Hollywood
Review: "Gods and Monsters," directed by Bill Condon, is an excellent drama with some fine performances. Condon write the screenplay, which was based on Christopher Bram's novel "Father of Frankenstein." The film is a fictionalized account of the latter days in the life of James Whale, the gay filmmaker who directed such classics as "Frankenstein" and "Bride of Frankenstein." As Whale (played by Ian McKellen) copes with a degenerative brain condition, he strikes up a friendship with his heterosexual yard worker (Brendan Fraser). Condon deftly blends together scenes from this relationship with Whale's memories of World War I, recreations of behind-the-scenes action on the set of "Bride of Frankenstein," and other images from Whale's increasingly tormented mind. McKellen is superb in his challenging role: at times delightfully sly and witty, at times torn with lust or despair, Whale is an unforgettable figure. Fraser is also excellent. And Lynn Redgrave is similarly memorable in her role as Whale's devoted housekeeper (who nonetheless disapproves of his "bugger" lifestyle). The film's production values and additional performances are excellent; I was particularly impressed by the recreation of the set of "Bride." And Carter Burwell's moody, elegant musical score really helps to unify and elevate the film as a whole. "G&M" contains some delicious comic moments. But the film is, above all, a serious drama. Condon's intelligent script takes on such topics as the Hollywood "closet," friendship that transcends differences, the trauma of war, and the place of the artist and his work in society. If you have been haunted by some of the images from the real-life Whale's films, you may find yourself similarly haunted, and enriched, by the superb "Gods and Monsters."
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