A List Review of Gods And Monsters
by Jonathan Ross

The real delight of the week is a small movie that's full of big, yet unshowy, performances. Gods And Monsters is a fictional retelling of the life of movie director James Whale. An intriguing figure, Whale was one of the few openly gay directors to work in Hollywood during the '30s and '40s - the time of the classic Universal horror films.

He's best known for the original Frankenstein, The Invisible Man and his masterpiece, The Bride Of Frankenstein. Gods And Monsters is the kind of film that draws you in and holds you spellbound until the poignant end.

Sir Ian McKellen gives the performance of a lifetime as the complex and unhappy Whale, while Lynn Redgrave is barely recognisable as his devoted, caring but disapproving house maid.
The real surprise of the film is Brendan Fraser, who first came to notice playing dumb beefcake roles such as George Of The Jungle and Encino Man.

In this film he delivers a performance of surprising subtlety and manages to perfectly complement his more experienced and established co-stars. It is just a delight - engaging, involving, moving and provoking, and it is entirely due to the high standard of the acting, the directing and the screenplay. This is pure drama beautifully presented, and should be seen by everyone who loves movies.