An ugly, lumbering beast, soulless and unnatural, calculated to inspire
loathing in the hearts of all who see it - this description applies
just as much to Kenneth Branagh's overblown adaptation of Mary
Shelley's classic gothic horror novel as it does to the famous creature
itself. Way in over his head and unsure what to do with his 45
million dollar budget, Branagh completely passes up a golden
opportunity to deliver a film that does justice to Shelley's novel and
instead gives us a tedious potpourri of a movie (part Gothic romance,
part action thriller) which wallows and drowns in its own manic
excesses. The one saving grace is Robert De Niro's moving
portrayal of the creature, which succinctly evokes the pathos of the
unwanted outsider in a few memorable scenes. Sadly,
De Niro's heart-breaking performance (assisted by an impressive make-up job)
is not enough to salvage this wreck of a film. Like Francis Ford Coppola's
over-hyped and equally inflated
Dracula
(1992), the film is weighed down by its artistic pretensions
and irritates more than it impresses. No wonder it was a monumental flop. The film's
tagline "Be warned" was aptly chosen, but not for the reasons the
distributors had in mind.
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Film Synopsis
In 1794, Captain Robert Walton is leading an expedition to the North
Pole when his ship becomes trapped in the ice. As Walton and his
crew attempt to free their craft, they are met by a stranger, who
entreats them to help him. The stranger, Victor Frankenstein,
recounts his tragic tale. Whilst studying anatomy at university,
the young Frankenstein became interested in the creation of artificial
life through electrical stimulation. Inspired by his mentor,
Professor Waldman, he began his own experiments and set about
constructing his own creation from stolen body parts. When he
finally achieved his ambition, Frankenstein was revolted and resolved
to abandon his research. But his creation escaped, only to find
rejection wherever it went. When the creature discovered how it
came into being, it vowed to destroy the man who brought him to life...
Script: Mary Shelley (novel),
Steph Lady,
Frank Darabont
Cinematographer: Roger Pratt
Music: Patrick Doyle
Cast:Robert De Niro (The Creature),
Kenneth Branagh (Victor Frankenstein),
Tom Hulce (Henry Clerval),
Helena Bonham Carter (Elizabeth),
Aidan Quinn (Captain Robert Walton),
Ian Holm (Baron Frankenstein),
Richard Briers (Grandfather),
John Cleese (Professor Waldman),
Robert Hardy (Professor Krempe),
Cherie Lunghi (Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein),
Celia Imrie (Mrs. Moritz),
Trevyn McDowell (Justine),
Gerard Horan (Claude),
Mark Hadfield (Felix),
Joanna Roth (Marie),
Sasha Hanau (Maggie),
Joseph England (Thomas),
Alfred Bell (Landlord),
Richard Clifford (Minister),
George Asprey (Policeman)
Country: USA / Japan
Language: English
Support: Color / Color
Runtime: 123 min
Aka:Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
The best French films of 2018
Our round-up of the best French films released in 2018.
With so many great films to choose from, it's nigh on impossible to compile a short-list of the best 15 French films of all time - but here's our feeble attempt to do just that.
A wave of fresh talent in the late 1950s, early 1960s brought about a dramatic renaissance in French cinema, placing the auteur at the core of France's 7th art.
In the 1940s, the shadowy, skewed visual style of 1920s German expressionism was taken up by directors of American thrillers and psychological dramas, creating that distinctive film noir look.