Summarize the following movie reviews:

1. ...a filmic epiphany.
2. This is a joy of a film, a throwback to the great human dramas of the Hollywood that made Hollywood; where movies for Everyman (even if dealing with not so-Every-man) were invented."
3. The James Whale of this movie proves to be a dotty bore.
4. Ian McKellen shines in this well-acted drama about a mysterious Hollywood celebrity.
5. I can't remember the last time I was so emotionally pounded by a film...Ian McKellan is a god.
6. A smart picture, if not a brilliant one.
7. McKellen's performance borders on brilliance.
8. a truly good film with a great cast
9. The whole thing still might have fallen apart if not for McKellen, who makes Whale so fascinating that the film could have worked as a monologue.
10. An example of a reasonably challenging film that doesn't really accomplish what it sets out to do, but is nevertheless thoughtfully-conceived and contains a couple of highly enjoyable performances that keep it afloat.

Summary:
Gods and Monsters is a spellbinding, confusing piece of semi-fiction, featuring fine performances; McKellen leads the way, but Redgrave and Fraser don't lag far behind.