directed by bill condon . cast : ian mckellen , brendan fraser , lynn redgrave , lolita davidovich . 1998 - 106 minutes . rated r ( for profanity , brief nudity , and sexual situations ) . reviewed january 8 , 1999 . bill condon's " gods and monsters " is a fascinating look into the last days in the life of gay director james whale ( ian mckellan ) , who made the horror classics " frankenstein " and " bride of frankenstein . " since i was unfamiliar of whale prior to viewing the film , there is no way to know how accurate the film is , but i suspect that much of it only came from whale's inner fantasies and hallucinations . whale , who fought in wwi and then went on to become known for his work on horror pictures , decided fifteen years before his death at age 67 to quit filmmaking once a homosexual scandal broke out involving him . as the film tells it , during the end of his life , whale , at his large home in l . a . , became infatuated with the tall , handsome , and much younger man , clayton boone ( brendan fraser ) , who was working as the gardener at his home . james whale , we learn quickly was , what many people refer to him as in the film , " a dirty old man . " in one of the opening scenes , a young film enthusiast visits whale's home to interview him and whale agrees , on one condition : for every question he answers , the young man must take off an article of clothing . because of this episode , we know exactly what it is whale wants when he asks clayton to pose for him for a painting , later making the excuse that his bright , white shirt is disracting only so he will take it off . clayon agrees , and doesn't really think much of this , much to the warnings of his friends , becoming more and more intrigued in the stories whale tells him about his past . certainly , the relationship between whale and boone is headed for a downfall , since whale starts to grow a deep love for this young man , even though boone is not gay , and whale himself realizes he is nearing the conclusion to his life , as he begins to seldom suffer mild strokes and moments of true catharsis . " gods and monsters " is an intimate and seemingly respectful portrait of a director who was forced to become somewhat of an outcast , due to his sexual preference , and never got the recognition he would have liked , since he longed to be referred to as a " motion picture director , " rather than a " horror director . " and in one heartbreaking scene , he attends a party with boone being his guest , held by director george cuckor , and finds that many of the other attendees do not recognize him anymore . it is evident that whale's first love in his life was making movies , and when his career ultimately fell apart , so did his passion in life . as played brilliantly by ian mckellen , james whale comes off as a sad , but dignified man , and a person who was not afraid to stand out from others , just as long as he knew he was being true to himself . he never hid the fact that he was gay , however , even if it meant threatening his filmmaking profession , and it was this unblinking honesty that made him a great person . through the complicated relationship that develops between whale and boone , boone , of course , only things of whale as a possible friend or someone he can talk to , while it means so much more to whale , who sees boone as sort of his salvation in life . although boone is only in a dead-end job as a gardener of people's homes , whale views him as the ideal man , not only one that is good-looking , even though it is this attraction that first begins his feelings , but one that will actually listen to him . since whale lives with only his loyal , but disapproving maid ( touchingly portrayed by lynn redgrave ) , it is boone that whale can talk to in his ultimate reclusion from the world , and the only reason whale finally decides to attend the gathering of george cuckor . although an extremely fine and mature picture , a few small elements hold the film back from ultimate greatness . it is appreciated that the film does not pull for any obvious or overly dramatic story developments , but it is a little thin , and the structuring of the " on-again-off-again " friendship at the film's center is fairly predictable . we know early on where these two characters are headed , and we can guess that there will be a final confrontation between the two as the tension slowly builds . in lesser hands , this set-up might have felt too calculated , but it is not in the surprisingly deft treatment and writing that helps the film to be much more than this . also , a subplot is briefly brought up between clayton and a waitress working at a bar ( effectively played by lolita davidovich ) , but abruptly dropped and never brought up again . if the film was not going to follow up on this side story , then it , perhaps , should have been taken out altogether . " gods and monsters " is a heartfelt and intelligent motion picture , impressively directed by bill condon , who , i sense , relates to or fully understands the meaning behind the curious relationship between whale and boone . the film also plays as a tribute to a fine man who met an untimely end . walking away from " gods and monsters , " it was ian mckellen's marvelous and astounding performance that left the most impression on me , and i doubt there could have been anyone who could have stepped into the role more fully and believably . it is a sad testament when a person's true talent and love is unfairly taken away from them , based on the scrutinization and judgement of their personal life , which , ironically enough , is no one else's business in the first place . - copyright 1999 by dustin putman < <a href= " http : //members . aol . com/filmfan16/index . html " >dustin putman's film haven</a> > 
