Product: Gods and Monsters (1998)
Rating: 5.0
Everything Important About Life Is Here in G&M......
Well, to start off, Sir Ian (and perhaps Lynn, too) was robbed at the Oscars, but what a thrill to see this incredible film win for Best Screenplay. For an amazingly small budget, this sumptiously detailed and photographed film covers everything important about our lives -- sex, love, jealousy, illness, friendship, beauty (whether literally or figuratively), compassion, seduction, rage, gentleness -- I *could* go on. Thank you, Clive Barker for signing on as producer to get this made, and thank you Lion's Gate (or whatever), for picking up this film as its distributor -- to think that this brilliant film, which is about so much more than Whale's homosexuality, would not have been made or found its audience. McKellen is magnificent, Redgrave is funny and heartbreaking and the glorious Brendan Fraser (who's smart enough to jump with both feet into films like this) proves without a doubt that he is the next very big thing -- the camera absolutely eats him up with every perfectly lighted shot. Um, can you tell I love this film? I think the DVD (which is why I just went out and bought my player) also comes with the director's commentary. Highest recommendation.