Grade:  C

Director:  Bill Condon		Released:  November 1998
Writer:  Bill Condon, from Christopher Bram's novel		MPAA Rating:  R
Players:  Ian McKellen, Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave		Running time:  105 minutes

Ratings System

Gods and Monsters is Ian McKellen's film.  It's all about his performance, it's a showcase for his powerful acting.  If only the film had been half as powerful as McKellen, we'd really have something here.

Some scenes are very lively, for sure.  But other scenes seem only to be carried by McKellen's elegance and grace.  Fraser seems game, but a little bit lost.  Partially due to the way his character is written, but also because he's not quite the right choice for the role.  Or at least, I'm not sure if he was the right choice, it depends on what exactly Condon was aiming for.

I'm tempted to lump this film into a category of "excellent performances in so-so films", which would include films like The Pledge and Shadow of the Vampire.

- crocoPuffs