“The Whale” Review

Brenden Fraser stars in “The Whale” as Charlie, a reclusive teacher who wants to settle his broken relationships in the time that he has left.

I think everyone my age has a fairly strong connection to Brendan Fraser. Growing up, the man was in some funny, action packed films that I saw like the Steven Sommers “Mummy Trilogy,” “George of the Jungle,” “Looney Tunes: Back in Action” and “Journey to the Center of the Earth.” As an adult, I’ve also grown to love his work in “Bedazzled,” “School Ties,” “Gods and Monsters” and “Blast From the Past.” And my God, how can I not enjoy his endearing performance in the comedy masterpiece “Airheads,” the strangest and most delightful remake of “Dog Day Afternoon” which stars Fraser, Adam Sandler and Steve Buscemi right before they all became big names at the box office. 

So what happened? Brendan Fraser was such a likable presence. How did we let that slip away? While a variety of problems led to a decline in his career, including health problems and personal loss, it’s not like we were demanding him back. Now that I’ve seen “The Whale,” I feel so bad for underestimating him because not only is Fraser at his finest, but it also signals what I believe to be the comeback of the ages for an actor. 

Set in Idaho in 2016, Charlie (Brendan Fraser) is an online college English teacher suffering from obesity and who longs to rekindle a relationship with his daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink). With about a week to live, according to his nurse and best friend Liz (Hong Chau), Charlie tries to mend all of his connections and to make his last days meaningful, discovering that there is still good in this cruel world.

Based on the play by Samuel D. Hunter, who also wrote the film’s script, “The Whale” is one of those stories about compassion that feels so raw and genuine. While the subject matter may seem depressing, it is a Darren Aronofsky film after all, the film doesn’t feel like an exercise in making you want to shower with a toaster. With that said, there’s a tragic intensity to the film that is engaging but can also make it hard to watch. 

At the heart of the film is Brendan Fraser who is giving a performance that everyone has been talking about and could possibly get him an Academy Award. After so much hype and speculation, I can say that it was all true. Fraser is incredible as Charlie and takes you on a roller coaster of emotion. Some scenes have a playful charm to them such as the relationship he has with an unseen pizza delivery guy (Sathya Sridharan) who he talks to through his door. Others are heartbreaking with sequences showing how Charlie lives his life as an obese man, his compulsion to eat and the cause of his depression which is tied to his eating disorder. Despite all of his physical and psychological pain, his compassion for others is amazing.

Fraser’s remarkable performance is rich with humanity and kindness and will completely blow you away.

The main relationship between Charlie and Ellie commands the screen. Ellie’s connection to her father is full of animosity and contempt since Charlie left Ellie’s mom Mary (Samantha Morton) for a man and Mary won full custody. With Charlie having little to no contact with Ellie in eight years and Ellie having thought the world of him when she was a girl, her hateful view of her father is understandable and it's the reforging of a broken bond that is so captivating. With most films about a fractured connection, the big question is when they will heal. In “The Whale,” the question is if they will heal. “The Whale’s” story is so real, you can’t predict how it's going to go.

While Fraser has been getting a lot of praise and talk of high accolades, Sadie Sink is intense in her performance and I can’t wait to see how her career continues to blossom. Along with “Stranger Things” and “All Too Well,” “The Whale” shows how marvelous Sink us and Ellie is depicted in every angle a good performance should be seen. At times, Ellie is challenging because of how hateful she appears to be but you also get the feeling that it’s an act. 

Hong Chau also surprised me with how emotionally compelling she was. She’s not only Charlie’s nurse, she’s also his friend and it hurts her to see how his condition is worsening. Their complex relationship is further tested when a missionary named Thomas  (Ty Simpkins) comes and makes it his mission to save Charlie. Charlie and Liz both have been emotionally scarred by the church Thomas is a part of but they react to it in different ways. Charlie tries to be more compassionate while Liz reacts with more hostility. Chau’s scenes are unbelievable and I can’t wait to see what she does next. 

While the film is set primarily in one location, Arronofsky uses this to his advantage. With great camera movement by Matthew Libatique, “The Whale” is highly immersive. The production design is also masterful with so many cool colors and an environment that can seem like both a homey space and a prison. In a way, it’s both because Charlie lives solely in this environment. The few scenes where characters are outside and natural light can be seen are immaculate.

“The Whale” has garnered some controversy because of Arronosfsky’s decision to cast Fraser in the role of an obese man and Fraser having to wear a prosthetic suit for the role. However, I think critics are missing the point. The film isn’t about an obese man, it’s about a man who is obese. The condition of Charlie is a facet of his character, it’s not the entire character. “The Whale,” in no way mocks obese people. It creates an intimate portrait of empathy for Charlie and to call it surface level is a gross misunderstanding. 

The film’s primary theme is compassion and it is conveyed in a manner that will make you cry. “The Whale” isn’t a vehicle to jump start an actor’s career. It’s not a means to mock or to seem superficial. It’s a jaw dropping powerhouse of emotion that has to be seen to be believed.