Review - The Whale
Directed by: Darren Aranofsky
Written by: Samuel D. Hunter
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Samantha Morton, Ty Simpkins
Running Time: 117 minutes
Rating: 5/5
You are the one good thing I have done in my life.
Where were you when the Brendanissance of 2022 was in full effect?
I was there on September 11th, 2022; at the North American Premiere of Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale. Watching Brendan Fraser, my hero, receive the ovation he deserves. An ovation that ticks off seconds into minutes and minutes into years of pent up resilience and absolute love for an actor who has made such an impact across a generation of young movie fans. From swashbuckling Rick O’Connell to George of the Jungle to Dudley Do-Right, Brendan Fraser is back, baby. And we’ve missed him, so.
In Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, Brendan Fraser opens his heart and soul for all to bear in a physical, emotional and devastating performance; the resilience of the human spirit and condition and a testament of hope and forgiveness to those whom we’ve loved and lost. An adaptation of playwright Samuel Hunter’s own play; Fraser is Charlie, an English teacher who preaches for the honesty in the written word. He begs his students for the truth in their work, but is a hypocrite - he hides his true identity away, with his zoom camera off, blames technology for his disguise. He makes excuses to his regular delivery man - the money is in the mailbox, no need to meet.
The truth is, Charlie is a 600lb recluse, a man deep in regret, depression and loneliness. His only interaction is with Liz (Hong Chau), his caretaker and only friend; who begs for him to be admitted into a hospital in his condition, to Charlie’s stubborn nature - he refuses. Charlie knows his path to this pain; he has lost everyone that he held dear in his life and holds himself responsible for the hurt and the darkness across his years of being a hermit. It’s almost as if his size grows and grows with all the words he wishes he could say…but he can’t, because of who he is now. So he sits. He eats. He wallows in regret. It is only during the films’ week long timeline that he finds himself with an olive branch. His daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink), returns to his life asking for money.
“The Whale, for all that it is, is a masterclass of performance. The film only has five actors and all of them are at the top of their game.”
The Whale, for all that it is, is a masterclass of performance. The film only has five actors and all of them are at the top of their game. Fraser is an absolute dream; he ebbs and flows with such grace - he is at all times a mirror; his eyes reflect an internal pain, a sadness and hurt that transcends the silver screen, the prosthetics and the performance. He stands tall as a gentle giant. His performance is subtle and humble. Charlie whispers, whimpers and is kind and comforting to those around him. He is not portrayed as a monster; just a man seeking a way to find love again.
The film is Aronofsky’s most accessible film in his portfolio; a chamber piece that focuses on one location and a handful of actors; he forgoes that smash cuts and rapid fire editing for simple but perfect framing, matched with a beautiful, moving score. Unfortunately, with Aronofsky’s name - the traumas of Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler, Black Swan and even Mother! All carry a disturbing baggage that is a recurring bloodline in his films. The Whale is not as disturbing as you may think it is. It is gentle but challenging, but honest and empathetic in its tragedy. I am worried about the discourse this film will inherit once it is released into the wild. Is it anti-fat? Is Fraser’s Charlie a monster in habit and stature? Where will the audiences fall to?
Nevertheless, The Whale is Brendan Fraser’s moment. A glorious return to the silver screen. A gentle giant. A heart and soul that never stopped beating.
A tour-de-force.
