Gods and Monsters (1998) or, Whale

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Ian McKellen's face in a close-up before a strip of film on this regrettably fold-marked poster for Bill Condon's Gods and Monsters

Great American filmmaker Jimmy Whale's new gardener catches his interest in 1957, when the aging master is troubled by the effects of a heart attack. While he draws, he recalls episodes and highlights from his exciting life.

 

Gods and Monsters is written and directed by great New-Yorker filmmaker Bill Condon (Sister, Sister (1987)), adapting Christopher Bram's (Hold Tight (1988)) Father of Frankenstein (1995), a semi-fictional account of the life of filmmaker James Whale (Frankenstein (1931)).

Condon succeeds in getting a vivid film from this setup about Whale, which could have easily become a too passive, backwards-oriented item. This is avoided with a solid base in Ian McKellen's (Stardust (2007)) brilliant performance as Whale, with competent support from Lynn Redgrave (Shine (1996)) and Brendan Fraser (Blast from the Past (1999)), who are delightful here in each their own way. 

Gods and Monsters serves a sentimental story filled with tenderness and a defense against the very sentimentality from the collapsing master's own sense of personal record. The score by Carter Burwell (Carol (2015)) is terrific, and the film is mighty entertaining. A minor reservation is that it in fleeting moments is too film and studio-like, SPOILER including in the last shot of Fraser, in which he acts as a monster in the rain.

 

Related posts:

 

Bill Condon:  The Greatest Showman (2017) - Brace for an infectious musical show (co-writer)

Dreamgirls (2006) - Rousing star turns in unreal and sentimental musical

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 10 mil. $ 

Box office: 6.4 mil. $ - North America alone

= Uncertain - but likely a big flop

[Gods and Monsters premiered 21 January (Sundance Film Festival) and runs 105 minutes. Shooting took place in 24 days from June - July 1997 in California. The film opened #19 to a 75k $ first weekend in North America, where it peaked at #17 and in 149 theaters (different weeks), grossing 6.4 mil. $. Regrettably the international gross numbers are not released online. If we assume a likely 13 mil. $ total gross, the film would count as a big flop. It was nominated for 3 Oscars, winning for Best Adapted Screenplay. It lost Best Actor (McKellen) to Roberto Benigni in Life Is Beautiful and in Supporting Actress (Redgrave) to Judi Dench in Shakespeare in Love. It also won 1/3 Golden Globe nominations, was nominated for a BAFTA, 3/4 Independent Spirit awards, 3 National Board of Review awards, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3/4 star review, translating to a notch under this one. Condon returned with The Others (2000, TV-series) and theatrically with Kinsey (2004). McKellen returned in Apt Pupil (1998); Fraser in The Simpsons (1998, TV-series) and theatrically in The Mummy (1999); and Redgrave in White Lies (1998, TV movie) and theatrically in Strike! (1998). Gods and Monsters is certified fresh at 95 % with an 8.50/10 critical average.]

 

What do you think of Gods and Monsters?

Dreamgirls (2006) - Rousing star turns in unreal and sentimental musical

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Beyoncé Knowles looking swanky between foolish-looking Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy on the poster for Bill Condon's Dreamgirls

QUICK REVIEW:

Three female vocalists fight for a breakthrough in the 1960s and get it as backup singers for one of the decade's major singers, Jimmy 'Thunder' Early. But internal disagreements, romances and money trouble their cooperation, as they grow popular.

Dreamgirls is the screen version of the same-titled 1981 Broadway musical, adapted from Tom Eyen's same-titled book for the musical by writer-director Bill Condon (Mr. Holmes (2015)). The film is especially inspired by Detroit's Motown label and The Supremes.
The main problem of Dreamgirls is that it takes place in a version of the world which never approaches appearing real, which inhibits real investment in its characters. To clarify, this is mostly a problem because the film obviously want us to believe that it takes place in the real world of yore.
Beyoncé Knowles (Obsessed (2009)) is excellent; Oscar-nominated Eddie Murphy (Beverly Hills Cop (1984)) has a party with his role; Jamie Foxx (Ray (2004)) plays the uniformly unreasonable man that the saint-like women have to overcome. Oscar-winning, debuting Jennifer Hudson (Black Nativity (2013)) is emotional out into the hysterical, which is a realm that Dreamgirls generally inhabits.
Dreamgirls is attractive and at times swinging entertainment yet also sentimental slush.

Related post:

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Watch the trailer for the film here

Cost: 80 mil. $
Box office: 154.8 mil. $
= Big flop
[Dreamgirls premiered December 4 (Ziegfeld Theatre, NY) and runs 130 minutes. An adaptation had been in the works for decades, with talents such as Whitney Houston, Lauryn Hill and Joel Schumacher involved at different points. Condon got the job due to the success of Chicago (2002), which he wrote. Hudson, who was chosen out of 783 tryouts, gained 20 pounds for her role, while Knowles lost 20 pounds for hers during production. Shooting lasted from January - April 2006 in LA, Detroit, Miami and New York. The film is the biggest budgeted film to date to star only African-American actors. Some music numbers were cut from the film after test screenings. The film opened to a standing applause in NY, and played a 10-day roadshow in NY, LA and SF, accruing 0.8 mil. $ before its wide release. This hadn't been done so since Man of La Mancha (1972). Dreamgirls opened #3 to a 14.1 mil. $ first weekend behind Night at the Museum (36.7 mil. $) and The Pursuit of Happiness (19.3 mil. $) in North America, where it grossed 103.3 mil. $ (66.7 % of the total gross). Dreamgirls became the most nominated film at the 2007 Oscars with 8 nominations, however, it also became the first film in Oscar history to receive the highest amount of nominations yet not be nominated for Best Picture or Director. Dreamgirls was nominated for Best Supporting Actress (Hudson), Supporting Actor (Murphy), Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound Mixing and three nominations for the songs Listen, Love You I Do and Patience. It won 2 statuettes, for Hudson and for its sound mixing. The film also won 3 Golden Globes (out of 5 nominations), AFI's Movie of the Year award and dozens of other awards. Due to its huge budget, the film was unsuccessful theatrically, - but it made an additional 94.9 mil. $+ on domestic DVD and Blu-ray sales, which, if added, makes it a success. Dreamgirls is certified fresh at 78 % with a 7.2 critical average on Rotten Tomatoes.]

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