He's the man anyway, but he's absolutely incredibly brilliant in this film. But then, everything about the film is great. Even Brendan Fraser is good. Also, I ADore Lynn Redgrave.
"Ah, ya's fancy pants, alla ya's"
"Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."
Yes, it's an incredible, Oscar-winning performance, that didn't win for purely political reasons (i.e. him being gay). There is no possible way that anybody could compare Roberto Begnini to Ian McKellen's performance in Gods and Monsters.
I have to disagree with you on one count though - I thought that it could have been a truly great film without Brendan Frasier - I thought he ruined it.
I don´t know, Fraser´s Caracter is supposed to be a stupid jock, a loser with big mucles hardly a brain and a heart of gold.
Well it´s not acting, it´s inpersonating the role!!!
It´s a strange world.
Let´s keep it that way.
He didn't ruin it. He had to stumble through the picture and be eye candy for Mr. Jimmy and act like a guy that does the gardening, and thats what he did.
"Ah, ya's fancy pants, alla ya's"
"Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."
McKellen didn't win not only because he's openly (that's the key word)gay and portrayed a homosexual in the movie. He was going against Begnini's lovable character in his off-beat Holocaust movie. He won the IF award for the best performance so the Academy gave him a nomination. Next year they gave an Oscar to Hilary Swank for portraying a lesbian.
Mc Kellen's performance was superb, so beautifully felt and nuanced. His two monologues---reminiscing his childhood and the WWI memory of his lover spread on the barbed wire for days as his comrades saluted him and made jokes about his dead lover deserved one Oscar for each. He captured his character's sense of humor on top of it. He also made "The Apt Pupil" the same year and did an equally amazing job. What a great actor!
It's tempting to blame Ian McKellen's loss on homophobia, but I think there's a more relevant reason. Going into that year's Oscar race I assumed it was between Ian McKellen for Gods & Monsters and Nick Nolte for Affliction. How is it possible both of them lost to Roberto B's overblown Life is Beautiful? When I investigated further I realized that both Gods & Monsters and Affliction were released by the same company (I think Lion's Gate?) while Life is Beautiful was released by the competitor (I think Miramax?). Miramax is known for putting on the best campaigns for Oscar. In this case Lion's Gate was splitting its resources between two very strong contenders.
Ian McKellen losing the Oscar to Roberto Benigni will go down as another embarrassment in the history of Oscar -- but that's a long list.
Lynn Redgrave's loss to Judi Dench is easier to explain. Dench should have won the Best Actress Oscar the year before for Mrs. Brown. But there were 4 British actresses vs one American, so Helen Hunt won the Oscar for As Good as it Gets (and look at how many more Oscar-worthy performances Hunt has turned in!). So they had to give Dench a consolation prize the following year for a role that didn't deserve the award.
And a word about Brendan Fraser -- I thought he was great in this movie. After this movie I thought he was going to turn in some fine performances and become a respected actor. But damn he's made some terrible career choices (and made some terrible movies).
Oh well, it's nice to know there are other people who appreciate Gods & Monsters.
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Although I wouldnt say that thsi film deserved 10/10 (I gave it an 8), I definitely thought Brendan Fraser and Ian McKellen were brilliant and Ian shoudl have got the Oscar
And before you all want to lynch, the reason I didnt give it a 10 because it was a bit dull in some places, tahts all
H xxxxxx
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Why have boys when you can have men!
Wiccan NOT Wicked! www.geocities.com/quartz_star1983
Hats off to Ian and Brendan. This film is among the absolute best of these two actors.
Gods and Monsters is a beautiful about understanding, love and friendship . A consolation film I return to, again and again, when all the homophobia around me gets me down.
"How can they see the love in our eyes
and still they don’t believe us?" Morrissey
I know. its so sad that at the time, tehre was so much omophobia and yet some of the best artists/singers/creative people are gay, lesbian and bi.
Oscar Wilde, Wilfred Barmbell (he was Albert Steptoe in the classic sitcom Steptoe and Son) Freddie Mercury, Bryan Singer, Drew Barrymore etc lol
A sad case is taht of Wilfred Barmbell. He was loved by all in Steptoe and Son. However, ina time of homophobia, he could not come out as gay as he feared his career would end and its specualted that was the reason he turned to drink.......
Why have boys when you can have men!
Wiccan NOT Wicked! www.livejournal.com/users/wiccanotwicked
There is no other word for Sir Ian's work in this film...brilliant. One of the most riveting performances I have ever seen by an actor. Funny, sad, clever, tragic,pathetic...everything a full-bodied movie character should be.
shareI "heart" Ian. Yes, women find him H-O-T!!! And he was as James Whale. Simply delicious and wicked!!!
"Humans are cowards in the face of happiness. You need courage to hold on to happiness."-KG
ditto... all the way around.
the writing, directing, script, music and acting are all magical in this movie. I say that because very few movies have the ability to really put me under their spell like this one does.
6 out of 5 stars!! ******