THE MOVIE

Every now and again a film comes along that amazes everyone. Audiences and critics alike are united in their love of the film. Bill Condon’s Gods and Monsters is such a film. It has received major accolades from critics across the world, including an academy award, and is one of those rare films that deserves all the praise it has received.

The film is set in 1957 and tells the story of legendary film director James Whale, the director of films such as Frankenstein. Whale (Sir Ian McKellen) has just returned home from hospital after suffering a stroke. He is also at a point in his life where he is no longer in the public spotlight. The public now only remembers his films and not the man who was responsible for making them. Frail, old and still effected by his stroke, Whale begins to recall dark memories he had long overcome, or ignored.

When Whale’s housekeeper hires a young groundskeeper, Clayton Boone (Brendan Fraser) to help tend to Whale’s garden Boone immediately sparks the old mans curiosity and the two form an unlikely friendship. Boone enjoys the stories and companionship that Whale provides him with and through Boone, Whale sees a way to tie all the loose ends of his life together.

This film is amazingly powerful, honest and intimate. The film creates a wonderful world that is captivating and enchanting. From the opening scenes the viewer is greeted with a familiarity and friendliness that draws them into the film. From then on it is as if we become part of the film, we watch these characters as if we are sitting with them, sharing their stories and revelations. This is filmmaking at its powerful best, Gods and Monsters is an amazing, beautiful film that lingers with you long after the disc has stopped spinning.

This film features two phenomenal performances from Sir Ian McKellen and Brendan Fraser. These two actors are amazingly good in their roles. They mesmerizingly convey realism, honesty and feeling, which all adds up to believability, a very important factor. These are some of the best performances ever captured on film and alone make the film worth watching.

THE TRANSFER

Video:

Gods and Monsters features a beautiful 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation. The film’s images are hauntingly beautiful and this transfer showcases them perfectly. The image is clean and clear and there are no signs of any blemishes or dirt. The colors remain strong and clear throughout and blacks are always strong and vivid. This is a very natural looking film and this DVD has one of the best DVD presentations I have seen. It is warm and natural looking and should be a reference to others out there on how to make a DVD transfer.

Audio:

The disc features a very intimate dolby surround mix. Whilst not the super aggressive 5.1 sound mix we see on many films now, it is effective and perfectly suited to the film. It creates a lovely ambiance and environment for the film to take place in. It also adds to the effect of drawing the audience into the film. There is beautiful separation and all dialogue is easy to hear. This is a very good audio presentation which is absolutely perfect for this film.

THE EXTRAS

This DVD features two very thoughtful and informative extra features.

The first of these is a feature length commentary by director Bill Condon. This is a remarkable commentary that covers many different aspects of the film. He is a wonderful host and is able to talk without boring his audience. This is how commentaries should be, well worth listening to.

The second feature is a 30 minute documentary on how the film came about, hosted by Clive Barker. Like the commentary this is also very informative and entertaining. It covers many aspects about the film including its factual basis and how it was adapted from Christopher Bram’s book. It also features good interviews with many of those involved with the film. A great addition.

Trailer, production notes and biographies round out the release.

SUMMARY

This is one of the most amazing films ever made and is well worth checking out no matter what type of film you are into. Gods and Monsters will move you and leave you wanting more. Amazing.