Guillermo del Toro returns to Venice with the film he has always dreamed of doing: “Frankenstein”, inspired by the novel by Mary Shelley written between 1816 and 1817, when she was only 19 years old. “There are stories that I have always dreamed of bringing to the big screen, one era Pinocchio and the other Frankenstein”. This is revealed by Del Toro during the press conference to present the film which, in Venice, fights for the victory of the Golden Lion. And he has dreamy eyes while he says it, while he tells the behind the scenes of what, for him, seems to be the most personal film of all.

But how is the highly anticipated “Frankenstein” of Guillermo del Toro, which will arrive on November 7 on Netflix and in some selected cinemas? As immense the love poured by the director on this work and commendable his choice to make an “analog” film where the use of computer graphics is reduced to a minimum – a novelty for today’s times – this feature film, unfortunately, is not a masterpiece, let alone the best film by Del Toro.

What works and what not in Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein”

It is said that when you love something too much you end up being blinded by love by losing that “rationality” that in life, as well as in art, it is necessary, much more than you can imagine. And it is precisely what happens to Del Toro who, in his Frankenstein, seems to have given more to his favorite fictional character than to the public. And this, unfortunately, watching the film, arrives.

Thus, the result of his latest cinematographic work is a story that, even if pleasant, just, faithful to the original story, cannot overwhelm, does not excite, it is not powerful enough to leave its mark.

Although the interpretations of the main actors are convincing, starting from Oscar Isaac who plays the role of Victor Frankenstein up to Jacob Elordi who completely transforms into the “monstrous” creature of the story, the film Object, does not stand out, especially for an all too linear and predictable script and unripe dialogues.

And it does not help the excessive length of the film – There are 149 minutes total – nor the choice of Del Toro to divide the story into two parts where the same story is told by two different perspectives, that of the creator and that of the creature. Choice that, undoubtedly, weighs down the vision.

It was expected from this adaptation of Frankenstein of Guillermo del Toro – which is added to the almost forty films of Mary Shelley’s novel – perhaps it was expected too much and as often happens in these cases, the disappointment is almost inevitable.

It is not all to be thrown away in Del Toro’s Frankesin, however, also because only the fact that a director of his caliber has put all his soul in the realization of this film, is a good reason to see it and appreciate it, at least in the intent.

VOTE: 6.5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_Znowvkab0undefined