FilmSnobReviews

Title: The Whale
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins
Runtime: 1 hrs 57 mins

What It Is: Charlie (Fraser) is a severely obese English teacher suffering from hypertension and is at risk for congestive heart failure, but maintains a positive attitude in spite of his condition. In a week when his health issues come to a head, his nurse and closest friend Liz (Chau) struggles to convince him to go to the hospital, though he repeatedly refuses. A young missionary named Thomas (Simpkins) from the evangelical church New Life visits Charlie in the attempt to “save” him as Charlie’s health fails. Charlie’s cynically cruel and estranged teenage daughter Ellie (Sink) visits him in exchange that he writes her essays for her and gives her all the money he’s saved in the bank. As the bleak weekend approaches, Charlie prepares himself to pass while encouraging Ellie not to give up on herself and others, admitting his mistakes in the face of having fallen into a star-crossed love years ago.

What We Think: FUCKING FINALLY. Not only are we blessed again with another empathetic work by one of my favorite directors of all time, but also get to witness the incredibly deserved career comeback of Brendan Fraser, a match made in heaven. After searching patiently for the perfect cast for Charlie (for over a decade, apparently), Aronofsky went with famed 90s-2000s movie star Fraser. I’m upset that the actor hadn’t been delivered from blacklist Hell earlier (where were all the other celebs who could speak in support of him–was the blacklist that severe, I wonder?), but here we are witnessing a beautifully carried-out performance by the legend himself, solidifying yet again his place as true iconic talent. His delivery of Charlie feels natural and loving, an endearing force of nature that makes the film as whole and watchable as it is. Every moment with him onscreen is pitch-perfect, and entertaining; everything you would want from a character study such as this. He manages to make Charlie not a one-note pity case, but someone who decisively does not belong and sticks to their truth. It is heartbreaking to see a character with such a loving and life-affirming personality let himself succumb to illness and depression, but Fraser carries it in a way that doesn’t milk the fact too overtly (despite the direction of the writing, and the inevitability of the story). You get the sense that the character has an interesting duality of being at peace with his fate, as well as disturbing internal chaos. It’s obvious that Fraser’s Charlie works as the centerpiece and heart of the story as the actor becomes indistinguishable from the character.

Central character aside, let’s talk about the other working parts. The relationship and chemistry Charlie / Fraser has with caretaker Liz / Chau is impeccable, and their connection feels sweet and palpable. Together, they’re responsible for some of the heaviest, lightest, most loving, and funniest moments that stick out and have you involved with them. Considering Liz and Charlie’s relationship, it makes for a perfect foil for the very intense and often even scary relationship (or lack thereof) he has with his daughter, Ellie. Sink plays Ellie with a relatable yet unreachable rage that makes her unpredictable, intimidating, and hard to watch. Her character is written pretty traditionally, but Sink makes the most out of her character overall; the same goes for other parts such as Simpkins as the self-contradictory young missionary and Samantha Morton as Charlie’s burned ex and a frantic, alcoholic single mother of a troubled teenager.

Technically, it’s a beautiful film, with a heavy, moving score by Rob Simonsen ((500) Days of Summer, Foxcatcher, The Spectacular Now) and moody cinematography by Matthew Libatíque (Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, Black Swan, Noah, mother!, A Star is Born). It’s by far the most simple setup Aronofsky has presented in his films (which may be a breath of fresh air for some, considering his last movie mother! is one of the most devastating and chaotic films in recent memory), but it makes sense seeing that we’re trapped in Charlie’s apartment along with him, and the story itself is based on a play–which is even more apparent given the very theatre-y dialogue. That being said, the dialogue is by far the weakest link: not to say it wasn’t well-written, as loose ends are tied up as they should be, and characters are allowed to express themselves with a lot of truth and vulnerability, but there’s something to say about when its storytelling often feels average to a fault–not a great mix when you already have a story with predictable/inevitable consequences. Although it’s a solid script on behalf of playwright Samuel D. Hunter, I do wish Aronofsky had taken more control over the screenplay. I’d compare it to the script of his 2008 movie The Wrestler, which is also one of my least favorites of his films and was also written by someone other than himself (Robert Siegel). The story drags quite a bit in the last half but also feels weirdly rushed and forced at the very last few minutes, which was disappointing considering it detracted quite a bit from the emotional effect the movie could have had on me as a whole.

Our Grade: B, Gorgeously performed with powerful players and an empathetic story, this theater-inspired film reminds us of the importance of connection and honesty. Although the script could commit quite a bit more to portraying the characters and their arcs with more realism and much less convention, the experience is deservedly heartbreaking with some lovely messages and worldviews mixed in with its overall depressing content. And it’s important to mention this film would not have been the same without Fraser, as this movie could have easily been a B- or less had he not been cast as the lead. While I would actually consider this the weakest of Aronofsky’s works by far next to The Wrestler (a controversial take for a lot of people, I know), Fraser’s performance alone is worth watching again and again. I hope to see Brendan snatch as many well-deserved leading roles in the future, it’s such an immense pleasure to see him onscreen again.