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Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

It's odd, but the entire time I spent watching this film, I never once got the impression that the relationship between the real James Whale (Ian McKellen) and Clayton Boone (Brendan Fraser) ever actually existed. Obviously there are fictional elements added to this story based on the book 'Father of Frankenstein', but I haven't read it so have no other basis on which to rest my comments other than it just didn't feel right. But if even half of the picture is based on real events, it's a compelling look into the declining days of the famed 'Frankenstein' director, even if that legacy is diminished by failing health and the onset of dementia. Sir Ian McKellen does justice to the role of Whale with an almost regal bearing that hearkens back to an earlier day when his stature as a director was more pronounced. I was actually a bit surprised with Fraser's performance here, even though I haven't seen him in a lot of films, most notably in the revived 'Mummy' series. And rounding out the principal cast, I thought Lynn Redgrave was sublimely hilarious as Whale's housekeeper Hanna. In terms of personality, she might have been the most complex character in the story, balancing her notions of sinful homosexuality with a pronounced level of loyalty toward the man she had worked for, for fifteen years.Adding to the ambiance of the Frankenstein theme, it was much appreciated that the film makers included scenes from the three original films dating back to the Thirties. Even though James Whale didn't direct "Son of Frankenstein", it would have been remiss if a clip from that movie was not included along with the original and "Bride of Frankenstein". I about gasped when Boris Karloff showed up at the Cukor party in the movie. Actor Jack Betts was such a dead ringer for Karloff that I thought it was really the man himself until realizing that he had died almost three decades earlier. Actress Rosalind Ayres made for a well cast Elsa Lanchester as well, even without the beehive painted hairdo

A rich, moving and insightful look into the later years in the life of an old, bitter man, this is probably miles better than any of the typical horror films released in 1998. It also happens to be Clive Barker's most interesting production for many a year. However, this isn't a horror film at all, more like a cross between a biography and an intense drama focusing on the relationship between two volatile men.The film is exceptionally made; it has a smooth, polished look to it and the characters are so well drawn and interesting that you never become tired of them, in spite of a slow pace. For the most part, we see insights into Whale's life, and the film becomes a character study of him, revealing his fears, his passions, and his forbidden desires. Despite being (on the outside) an unlikeable character, McKellen gives a subtle, impressive performance which makes us really feel and understand the director's state of mind. The ending is surprisingly poignant and tear-jerking, despite being a little predictable, and this film fully deserves the screenplay Oscar that it won.McKellen's understated performance is the key focus of the film, indeed the whole film as a success hinges upon it. I've never liked the actor much, but he plays Whale extremely well, covering all the mannerisms and tics and making them his own. Even his cultured voice is perfect for the character. Surprisingly enough, Brendan Fraser comes off well too. Fraser is usually known for his roles in comedy, playing likable but dumb characters. He plays the same type of person here, except seriously, and he brings a real touching mood to the film as he slowly accepts Whale as a friend and grows to love him as such. Lynn Redgrave enjoys herself in a small, comic relief role as a heavily-accented housemaid, and is frequently delightful.The strong homosexual theme is dealt with tastefully, never explicit and never in bad taste. There is one disturbing moment in the film, which involves a naked Fraser wearing a gas mask being assaulted by Whale, but this never veers over the boundaries of tastefulness - instead it's both frightening and sad. My only complaint (as a horror fan) would be that too much time is dwelt on THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN and not enough on Whale's other horror films - a few more clips wouldn't have gone amiss. New clips of behind the scenes on BRIDE are very well done, really capturing that Gothic feel, and frequently funny. The scenes of the garden party where Whale meets the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Margaret, Elsa Lanchester, and Boris Karloff are also very good too, the actors and actresses being remarkably similar to their characters. On top of this there's a brilliant, moving and profound ending which uses a clip from BRIDE expertly. For fans of intelligent, slow-paced and thoughtful dramas, this is the one to go for.

"Gods and Monsters" is the beautifully acted and somewhat fictionalized story of director James Whale (Ian McKellan) as he faces the end of his life. The openly gay Whale was the director of some of the great horror films: Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, and The Old Dark House, as well as the definitive Showboat, and one of my favorites, the bizarre Remember Last Night? (which no one in the movie does, by the way). After a debacle over the film The Road Back, his studio thrust him into directing B movies, and by 1941, his career was over. After that, Whale developed a love of painting and directed in theater, where he had started in the '20s.The film begins in 1957, the last year of Whale's life, after he has suffered a series of strokes. In the movie, his only companion is his housekeeper (Lynn Redgrave). (In real life, he was living with the much younger Pierre Foegel, whom he had met in France.) Faced with diminishing mental faculties and unwanted flashbacks from his past, Whale develops a sometimes uneasy friendship with his gardener, Clayton Boone (Brendan Fraser). He asks Clayton to pose for him, and while Clayton does, Whale pours his heart out to him. Some of it is too much for the straight Clay, but over time, the two men bond. Each gets something from the other. But Whale will ultimately want something astounding from his new friend.This a complex film, well directed and written by Bill Condon, who adapted the novel The Father of Frankenstein by Christopher Bram. Whale attempts to create his own Frankenstein monster, in a sense, in Clay, and the stunning images near the end of the film which take place during Clay's dream sequence point this up. The film also demonstrates the loneliness and deterioration of old age, as well as the fear that goes along with it.The cast is nothing short of magnificent, with phenomenal performances by the three leads: McKellan, Fraser, and Redgrave. The late, always excellent David Dukes plays David Lewis, Whale's ex-lover and still friend; Jack Betts and Rosalind Ayres are well made up and vocally correct as Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester, respectively.Gods and Monsters is a sometimes dark, always thought-provoking film about old age, taking stock at the end of life, and the gods and monsters within each one of us.

There were three reasons why I wanted to see Gods and Monsters. One is because it was about James Whale, the director who gave us those innovative classics Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. The second is that I love Ian McKellen, and when I saw he was going to play James Whale I thought expect a great performance from a great actor. The final reason is the late Lynn Redgrave.After seeing the film, I was really impressed. The period detail is sublime, costumes, sets and scenery are gorgeous and the cinematography is excellent. Another delight was the footage of Bride of Frankenstein for example, that were great to watch. The story is very simple but it is very effective and touching, the score is haunting and beautiful and the screenplay is very well written and insightful.The film is also very elegant and poignant set during Whale's twilight years where Whale was ostracised for being a box office failure and homosexual. While there is the occasional drug-addled sexual hallucination and the story is very simple, Gods and Monsters does explore the horror genre with effortless assurance and wit, while making interesting and powerful pointers of friendship for example.And of course the acting is excellent. Ian McKellen as I have said already was one of the reasons why I wanted to see this film, and he gives another brilliant performance in the title role. Brendan Fraser also gives one of his better performances as the heterosexual gardener, while Lynn Redgrave gives a marvellous turn as Whale's housekeeper.Overall, touching and wonderfully acted. 10/10 Bethany Cox