Review – Gods and Monsters

Though the strong homosexual themes probably put off mainstream audiences, this fascinating piece of cinema received a lot of well-deserved critical acclaim. The plot revolves around has-been director James Whale (Ian McKellen) and his relationship with his ever-so-straight gardener (Brendan Fraser). Whale was the real-life director of such horror classics as Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein (a line from the latter lends this movie its title). Conversations between the old guy and his gardener stray around his love affairs, film-making, and various other reminiscences. The script is clever and the characters engaging. I’m not usually a real big fan of the whole Hollywood decadence thing, but this time around the production was good enough to keep me interested. Worth seeing