When you're watching a movie about the dramatic final days of James Whale, director of horror classics like Frankenstein and The Invisible Man, you expect a lot in the way of stylistic embellishment. But while there are a few touches here and there (my favourite being Brendan Fraser's Creature-esque silhouette), it's really more of a personal story about three individuals who are in serious need of companionship.
That's not only a relatable and compelling premise, but one that allows for a triple character study, which is wonderfully brought to life by Fraser, Lynn Redgrave, and, of course, Ian McKellen. Sure, the tone and conflict can get a little campy and overwrought at times, but these choices are pretty appropriate given the people involved, and they never get in the way of the relationships or their developments.
Even the BBC presentation (which admittedly makes the movie look like a British TV series) started working for me after a while. Gives the drama that much more tenderness and legitimacy.
Grade: A-
P.S. Another thing this movie does quite well is resemblance-based casting. Young Jimmy looks just like McKellen, the guy playing Ernest Thesiger (the crazy doctor from Bride of Frankenstein) is a dead ringer, and you could easily convince me that they really got Liz Taylor to cameo as herself in that party scene.
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