Rating: 8.3
Premise: A reclusive English teacher attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter.
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A24
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
Screenplay by Samuel D. Hunter
Based on the stage play by Samuel D. Hunter
Cast: Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins, Samantha Morton
Runtime: 1hr 57min
Rating: 14A
Drama
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IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 66%
RT Audience Score: 92%
RT Critic Average: 6.7/10
RT Audience Average: 4.4/5
Metacritic Score: 60
Letterboxd: 3.7/5
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My Review:
Welcome back Brendan Fraser! It should go without saying that he is the highlight of this film, his incredible performance is something that will go down in history. Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale” is frankly nothing without Fraser’s powerhouse of a performance. If you had an actor who did any less than what Fraser did, this film would not work as well as it does. Fraser is the foundation of this film’s success; without him everything would fall. Because it is a one-room story that very much does feel like watching a stage play, even more is left up to the actors than in a usual film, this format demands strong performances. And here we got Brandan Fraser, proving that he has so much more to offer as an actor than what we previously thought! In fact, I would argue he has delivered one of the most emotionally devastating performances we have ever seen on film — he damn near broke my heart over and over again every time he had a line of dialogue. This is a career-defining performance for Fraser, and he should be a shoe-in for a nomination at this year’s Academy Awards. Brendan Fraser deserves the Oscar for this one and it’s not even close. His performance was so heartbreaking and completely knocks it out of the park, same with the rest of the cast. Sadie Sink was also phenomenal! I have really only ever seen her in “Stranger Things”, but wow did she ever blow me away here! Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins and Samantha Morton also had some incredible moments, this really is an actor’s movie! The main reason to see this movie really is for the performances, as every single actor is giving their best work here!
“The Whale” is an honest, raw and emotionally devastating film. Don’t expect to come out of this one feeling good, it really did tear my emotions to shreds as it touches on themes of depression, religion, faith, pain and regret. It’s about human, more specifically family connection. It is a character study about one broken man who is filled with pain and regret; one who has lost himself and seems to have lost everything, and yet he still has such a strong sense of optimism and can see the good in people. Due to the strong direction you really feel Charlie’s pain from his perspective. It broke my heart. Aronofsky’s direction is very strong, he handled the tone and story very well, even if it does seem like a carbon copy of the stage play. I also liked his visual approach a lot. The murky, dim interior that we’re confined to as our protagonist is also trapped in his own regret, grief, and failure. The pouring of light into the room at the end is a very powerful visual choice even if it was somewhat obvious. The 4:3 aspect ratio really helped to assist with the intimate yet claustrophobic feel of the film, and the film’s single setting worked to the film’s advantage by adding to the film’s generally depressing and isolated tone. The setting itself, as mentioned before, really put a lot of onus on the actors to deliver performances that would make the movie stand out. And that they did; those performances are phenomenal. I do think it’s a little messy thematically and some moments feel kinda silly, but overall the tragic nature of the story and the emotion woven in really swept me away and broke my heart.
The movie is not for everyone, some may find it uncomfortably unenjoyable. Those who enjoy it will be the ones who can find the messages about family connection, about pain, loss and regret. It is a depressing and emotional story, carried by some incredible performances from the entire cast. Brendan Fraser turns in a career defining performance that's heart wrenching and powerful and beautiful. You won’t want to miss this movie for his performance alone!
Fun Fact: Following its debut screening at the Venice Film Festival, both the movie and lead actor, Brendan Fraser, were given a six-minute standing ovation; a moment, caught on camera, that brought Fraser to tears. Long time fans and critics alike have called The Whale a revival of Fraser's career after many years of absence from the screen.
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