The Whale (B or 3/4 stars)
A severely obese man dying from congestive heart failure tries to reconnect with his estranged teen daughter in 'The Whale' (based on a play & directed by Darren Aronofsky, of Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan, Noah, mother!). Charlie (Brendan Fraser) is said obese man; a writing instructor who teaches online classes with his camera off so that his students can't see him. The story transpires entirely within Charlie's dank, unkempt Idaho apartment and, our 1st glance of him is while he is masturbating to gay porn -- a cardiac attack of some sort follows this event. His only friend in life appears to be Liz (Hong Chau), an acerbic, yet caring home nurse/caretaker who drops in every day for a check-up. She has known him for several years.
She's concerned about his congestive heart failure {+ sky high blood pressure}, but he stubbornly refuses to go to the ER. Exasperated that he'll likely be dead within a week, she also isn't pleased to find Thomas (Ty Simpkins), a clueless missionary, in Charlie's apartment. Thomas is simply looking to 'save souls'. Liz also isn't thrilled that, due to Charlie's grave condition, he is attempting a reconciliation with his troubled teen daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink), who he hasn't seen in 9 yrs.; Charlie abandoned Ellie & her mom (Samantha Morton, lovely) to live with one of his male students. To 'connect', Charlie offers to help Ellie write a school assignment; something the bitter, "evil" teen only agrees to when her dad offers to pay her. Can he forgive himself & put his messy life in order before the inevitable happens? The whale in Moby Dick is often referenced; though, any allegorical connection went over my head.
While Darren Aronofsky is an accomplished, if somewhat divisive filmmaker, let's be clear, the draw & the reason to see this film is Brendan Fraser; an amiable actor whose star shone brightest 20 yrs. ago around the time of The Mummy, but who has been in a sort of hiding for the last few years. This film is his comeback and, he will likely {and deservedly} be nominated for his first Academy Award. Fraser's work here is powerful. Under hundreds of pounds of a fat suit, he is still able to convey a wellspring of both hope & pain in those big blue eyes of his. At 1st glance, Charlie is monstrous to look at; then monstrous when we discover that he abandoned his family; but then Fraser's emotional redemption arc, followed by a tear-laden declarative outburst about his life's worth nearly knocked my socks off. For whatever else you may think of the movie itself, Fraser's performance is beyond reproach.
Also excellent is Hong Chau. Take it from me, as someone who is the caretaker of two loved ones ... I found immense truths in Chau's depiction of the tried-&-true, caring, concerned, exasperated, defeated 'nurse'; someone who can berate, feel guilt, then soothe in equal measure. She is utterly conflicted about HOW to deal with her dying friend and, tries her best to do right by Charlie. Sadie Sink has some searing moments as Ellie, but the writing of her character lets her down a bit, as she is forced to make something sympathetic out of a nearly unredeemable teen brat. Ty Simpkins is fine as missionary Thomas. But again, the writing of Patrick is shoddy. His intro feels forced, his purpose feels weak, & the resolution of his character - disappointing.
The screenplay is chock full of themes: love, literature, truth, mental/physical health, faith, forgiveness. The story initially casts Charlie in a pathetic light, but as the story progresses, our opinion of him changes as the very real threat of death encroaches. Now, the film will be polarizing. It can feel stagey, at times; though the dingy production design of the apartment feels very lived-in. Plenty of viewers may be turned off by Charlie's excessive binge-eating sequences. And I can see how many people would find the portrayal of obesity {fat suit, fat-shaming} to be offensive. I also think Aronofsky misjudges the impact of the final minute of the film. He clearly intends to convey an emotional wallop, but the execution of it teeters on satire -- NOT the desired effect. Still, despite it being dour & sometimes hard to watch, Fraser & Chau's compassionate portrayals make 'The Whale' worthwhile viewing.
She's concerned about his congestive heart failure {+ sky high blood pressure}, but he stubbornly refuses to go to the ER. Exasperated that he'll likely be dead within a week, she also isn't pleased to find Thomas (Ty Simpkins), a clueless missionary, in Charlie's apartment. Thomas is simply looking to 'save souls'. Liz also isn't thrilled that, due to Charlie's grave condition, he is attempting a reconciliation with his troubled teen daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink), who he hasn't seen in 9 yrs.; Charlie abandoned Ellie & her mom (Samantha Morton, lovely) to live with one of his male students. To 'connect', Charlie offers to help Ellie write a school assignment; something the bitter, "evil" teen only agrees to when her dad offers to pay her. Can he forgive himself & put his messy life in order before the inevitable happens? The whale in Moby Dick is often referenced; though, any allegorical connection went over my head.
While Darren Aronofsky is an accomplished, if somewhat divisive filmmaker, let's be clear, the draw & the reason to see this film is Brendan Fraser; an amiable actor whose star shone brightest 20 yrs. ago around the time of The Mummy, but who has been in a sort of hiding for the last few years. This film is his comeback and, he will likely {and deservedly} be nominated for his first Academy Award. Fraser's work here is powerful. Under hundreds of pounds of a fat suit, he is still able to convey a wellspring of both hope & pain in those big blue eyes of his. At 1st glance, Charlie is monstrous to look at; then monstrous when we discover that he abandoned his family; but then Fraser's emotional redemption arc, followed by a tear-laden declarative outburst about his life's worth nearly knocked my socks off. For whatever else you may think of the movie itself, Fraser's performance is beyond reproach.
Also excellent is Hong Chau. Take it from me, as someone who is the caretaker of two loved ones ... I found immense truths in Chau's depiction of the tried-&-true, caring, concerned, exasperated, defeated 'nurse'; someone who can berate, feel guilt, then soothe in equal measure. She is utterly conflicted about HOW to deal with her dying friend and, tries her best to do right by Charlie. Sadie Sink has some searing moments as Ellie, but the writing of her character lets her down a bit, as she is forced to make something sympathetic out of a nearly unredeemable teen brat. Ty Simpkins is fine as missionary Thomas. But again, the writing of Patrick is shoddy. His intro feels forced, his purpose feels weak, & the resolution of his character - disappointing.
The screenplay is chock full of themes: love, literature, truth, mental/physical health, faith, forgiveness. The story initially casts Charlie in a pathetic light, but as the story progresses, our opinion of him changes as the very real threat of death encroaches. Now, the film will be polarizing. It can feel stagey, at times; though the dingy production design of the apartment feels very lived-in. Plenty of viewers may be turned off by Charlie's excessive binge-eating sequences. And I can see how many people would find the portrayal of obesity {fat suit, fat-shaming} to be offensive. I also think Aronofsky misjudges the impact of the final minute of the film. He clearly intends to convey an emotional wallop, but the execution of it teeters on satire -- NOT the desired effect. Still, despite it being dour & sometimes hard to watch, Fraser & Chau's compassionate portrayals make 'The Whale' worthwhile viewing.