The movie received a standing ovation at the Venice screening
Brendan Fraser was one of the biggest movie stars, and more importantly, he was likable, without any drama. The movies he starred in were easily likable as well, and they weren’t the arthouse types either. But he suddenly disappeared from the scene, with little explanation as to why. But he has been back for a while, but did not solidify his second entry until The Whale happened.
The Whale Review
The Whale is Fraser’s first leading role in a decade. The movie, directed by Darren Aronofsky is being celebrated at various film festivals. Fraser plays Charlie in the movie, an English teacher who struggles with extreme obesity. He takes online classes with the camera off. Charlie has a routine, which only involves his caretaker and the pizza delivery guy. However, things change fast. Charlie suddenly suffered a heart attack, and a missionary (Ty Skimpkins) who was outside his door at that time, provides assistance, and decides to check up on him until his inevitable death. Another visitor comes, Charlie’s daughter (Sadie Sink). The two were estranged and hadn’t seen each other for eight years.
The speciality of The Whale is that we have no clue what’s happening in the outside world. It’s all very contained. The characters only speak of wants, needs, or desires, whenever the camera is on them. This brings a drawback as the dialogue between the characters does not seem real.
In Conclusion
The story and the characters get a bit dull, apart from Fraser himself. The one good scene in the movie is with him and his ex-wife, played by Samantha Morton. The movie’s score is particularly bad, and the characters of Sink and Simpkins could’ve been a lot better. Overall, The Whale might remind directors why Fraser is a wonderful actor.