The Whale Film Review — Brendan Fraser Holds Together A Dislikeable Drama
The cameras are off as The Whale, Darren Aronofsky's wicked new film, begins . The scene is an English lesson presented on Zoom; but tutor Charlie claims his laptop is broken. Do not worry. Aronofsky won't leave us in the dark. After class, Charlie appeared as he should: actor Brendan Fraser in a thick, award-winning suit. Its sheer size is bound to terrify us, the majestic vision of morbid obesity.
Now Charlie is either into gay porn or trying to. The scale makes it difficult. The tone of the scene was even stronger than it seemed. The same goes for the entire film: meditations on emotional pain are made to be examined.
Just before class, we get a quick glimpse of the setting: semi-rural Idaho. The rest takes place only in Charlie's gloomy and gloomy apartment. Instead of the outside world, the bob is used as a multi-functional dramatic device. Heartbroken, the physical danger of her majesty is timed like the ticking of a clock. This also raises deeper questions. When we watch Charlie gorge himself, the self-loathing becomes a clear death wish. "I'm sorry," he repeated over and over. But for what, we are ready to ask.
Reasons are given to secondary characters. Best friend Liz (Hong Chau) is the narrator of the story. Thomas (Ty Simpkins) is an outspoken evangelical who says he doesn't condemn Charlie's sexuality, but sees the need for salvation. "I really think God sent me here for a reason," she said. He can also thank writer Samuel D. Hunter who adapted his play, a nod to Moby Dick and all.
A glimmer of grace comes from Elle (Sadie Sink), a gorgeous teenager who we could mistake for a cousin. In fact, she is Charlie's long-lost daughter, who has now decided to re-enter his life. The timing is comfortable narratively, but the anger is strong enough to shake the film. Desperate to make contact, Charlie offers to help her with her English homework. No offers, please. "I can pay you!" she pleaded and for a moment the pain stopped.
But Aronofsky just doesn't suit the material. (As a co-producer, he took on the job.) You can hear how eager he was to remake The Wrestler , his heartwarming 2008 tale of broken bodies starring fellow veteran Mickey Rourke. But the new film ends with more typical projects like Black Swan or Mother! ". - cold and thin. This film needs an empathetic Charlie to have a real reason to exist. But Aronofsky sees his character the way some children see a spider. Where is the first leg?
The film was marketed as Frazier's comeback story. On screen, his acting skills bring him together, although anyone who can't vote for an Oscar can feel like a second-rate audience. Performance is good. The Problem with The Whale : Movies get smaller the more you think about them.
★★☆☆☆
In UK cinemas on February 3rd and now in US cinemas.
