Every so often a movie comes along that has so much hype that you aren’t sure whether to believe it or not, this is what has happened with The Whale starring Brendan Fraser and directed by Darren Aronofsky, which is based on the acclaimed play by Samuel D. Hunter.
The premise for The Whale is a rather simple one on paper, as Charlie (Fraser) is an English teacher that teaches his classes online and never shows his pupils what he looks like, after his partner died Charlie lost interest in life and began eating and eating causing him to pile on the weight and damage his health, now he is trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink).
As the movie progresses we learn a little more about the characters and their connections to one another, Charlie is looked after by Liz (Hong Chau) who we can clearly see cares for him and his lifestyle and health problems are something she can’t really cope with, but she continues to be there for him and look after him.
The moment we are introduced to Charlie’s daughter, brilliantly played by Sadie Sink, we come to learn why Charlie isn’t part of her life and her mother’s (Samantha Morten), it seems her only interests are the money that he mentions to her and getting him to write her papers for school.
Charlie also befriends Thomas (Ty Simpkins) who tries to bring the word of God to Charlie’s life, but soon we learn that there is more to Thomas than we first realise, which opens up more in the storyline.
It’s very hard to put this review in words as I don’t want to drop any spoilers that would give too much away, but I have to say that Brendan Fraser‘s performance as Charlie is stunning and very emotional, so much so that at a certain point of The Whale I could feel myself starting to hold back the tears and yes they did burst through eventually, with them pouring down my cheeks.
Darren Aronofsky has brought us a movie that you may think is nothing more than a guy in a room, yes it is in a way, the film is entirely based in Charlie’s apartment, but it’s what Aronofsky brings out of Fraser that makes this movie such a powerful piece of cinematic art.
You build up a relationship with the character of Charlie and you want to know why he is the way he is, what has caused him to become this way and why is he so desperate to reconnect with his daughter whom he hasn’t seen for nine years.
I’ve always enjoyed Aronofsky’s movies, The Fountain was one of my favourites of his for many years, but I have to say that The Whale has topped that movie, I was glued throughout the 1h 57m runtime, yes it is that long, but the powerful performance from Brendan Fraser made the time feel a lot shorter.
The cinematography for the movie works very well, the first thing you will notice when seeing the movie is that it is shot in a 1.33:1 ratio, a bit unusual in this day and age of the 2.40:1 movies on the big screen, but this format is something that in my personal point of view is perfect for the movie and keeps your focus more than having the movie in full widescreen.
The soundtrack by Rob Simonsen for The Whale is wonderful to listen to and you can feel the passion of the compositions throughout the movie, it was a joy to hear it on the big screen.
The Whale isn’t going to be for everyone, in this day and age of superhero and sci-fi movies it’s very different, but if like me you enjoy movies so much it is well worth seeing on the big screen, just sit back and take in the powerful performance from Brenden Fraser, but don’t forget some tissues to take in with you.
The Whale is in UK cinemas on the 3rd of February 2023.
Brendan Fraser puts on a powerful performance in The Whale
Movie title: The Whale (2022)
Movie description: A reclusive, morbidly obese English teacher attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter.
Date published: January 27, 2023
Country: UK
Duration: 1h 57m
Director(s): Darron Aronofsky
Actor(s): Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Ty Simpkins
Genre: Drama
Summary
Brendan Fraser puts on a stunning and emotional performance that you will never forget.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
