Kenneth Branagh is a complicated guy. I always thought he would be impossible as a personality, but this year I have started to think he might be an interesting guy, despite all. I really love his Wallender renditions--they hit the right note for the Swedish detective and his environs. Branagh's take on some of the classics have fallen a little flat with the critic's, but I have largely enjoyed them (I liked 'Love's Labor Lost', which was probably the closest I got to not liking something he directed, 'Peter's Friends' being second closest).
So here he is, Franken-stein--a very handsome man in this movie. In stark contrast to his shirtless Wallender, his shirtless Frankenstein is another thing altogether. Let's just see you can see why he could be cast as the romantic lead. And this picture of him makes it easy to believe that he went on to date his co=star, Helen Bonham Carter, for 5 years after this movie was made. But it is not his personal life that I refer to when I say he seems complicated. It is that he appears to think out of the box. He depicts things with an attention to detail that is impressive. His Frankenstein does not come off looking all that magnificent as men go. He makes some bad choices and he pays a high price for those bad choices. These things happen, but usually not on this scale. The film is not strictly adherent to the story, so those who find that irritating need to skip this movie, but as horror goes, this one is nicely done. Carter really found a place for herself in this genre--maybe it started here.
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