THE WHALE REVIEW

 *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Brendan Fraser is best known for leading films such as the family friendly live action Disney comedy, George of the Jungle, which was released in 1997, and the thrilling The Mummy trilogy, which concluded in 2008. Fraser has also appeared in the Oscar winning yet polarising drama, Crash, alongside an ensemble of talented actors, and in comedies such as Airheads, alongside Adam Sandler and Steve Buscemi, and Looney Tunes: Back in Action. Because of his appearance in these films which were a part of lots of people’s childhoods (George of the Jungle was one of my favourite films when I was younger), Fraser is one of the most beloved celebrities who is making a welcome return to acting after he took a break following a traumatic incident that took place in 2018. However, his latest role in Darren Aronofsky’s latest film, The Whale, is incredibly challenging as Fraser is portraying Charlie who is severely obese. Since its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September last year, The Whale has received a mostly positive critical response, with most of them praising Fraser’s powerful performance. 

Charlie (Brendan Fraser), a reclusive English teacher suffering from severe obesity, attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink) for one last chance at redemption.

The Whale is based on Samuel D. Hunter’s play which premiered at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in 2012 and won the Drama Desk Award and the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play in 2013. After watching The Whale, director Darren Aronofsky wanted to make a feature film adaptation and it’s not hard to understand why as it tells a deeply personal story that surrounds a severely obese man whose health is deteriorating and is dying and, because of this, The Whale is far from the easiest of watches but is rarely anything less than an engrossing drama that fully captures Charlie’s health struggles, both physical and mental, as a result of his obesity. Aronofsky succeeds at telling Charlie’s story in a non judgmental and empathetic way. In most mainstream films, especially comedies, overweight characters are almost always made fun of and are used for comic relief, however, in The Whale, Charlie’s obesity is taken very seriously, with Aronofsky not shying away from showing viewers the struggles Charlie experiences in his day to day life. Even moving from his sofa and around his house is difficult as his body is so heavy and he has to rely on a walking frame. Although his health is worsening as each day passes, Charlie refuses help from a hospital, telling his nurse, Liz (Hong Chau), that he can’t afford it. It’s heartbreaking watching Charlie refusing help as it shows that he has given up on life, however, a visit from bis estranged daughter, Ellie, provides him with a new reason to keep going, even if just for a few more days. Like with most of Aronofsky’s films, including Requiem for a Dream and mother!, The Whale will divide a lot of people, however, it’s definitely one of the most thought provoking films to be released in the last year and it will certainly leave a lasting impression with a lot of people.

Undoubtedly, the standout aspect of The Whale is Fraser’s transformative performance as Charlie. He succeeds in humanising his character and portraying him a flawed human being who has made mistakes in his life but wants to redeem himself when Ellie arrives. While Charlie refuses help for himself, he becomes determined to finally care and be a responsible parent for Ellie, unfortunately, she’s a troubled teenager who has never forgiven Charlie for walking out on her and her mother when she was a child. Sink is best known for her memorable role as Max Mayfield in Netflix’s fantasy series, Stranger Things, however, as Ellie in The Whale, she continues to impress with her acting skills. Because of Ellie’s attitude and insults towards her father, she’s not the easiest of characters to like, however, her behaviour is understandable as she’s still hurting from Charlie abandoning her. The relationship between Charlie and Ellie is effectively explored and is the reason why the ambiguous ending is emotional, with the latter reading an essay she wrote to the former. Chau delivers a strong supporting performance as Charlie’s caring nurse, Liz, who is desperate for him to seek help before it’s too late. She’s the most admirable character as she is committed to looking after Charlie but is honest about his situation. Like Charlie, she’s experienced a tragic loss which is why she wants to help him get better as she doesn’t want to experience that grief again.

At this year’s Academy Awards, The Whale has received three Oscar nominations including Best Actor for Brendan Fraser, Best Supporting Actress for Hong Chau and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. I think that, because he delivers his strongest performance yet, Fraser deserves to win his first Oscar, however, he’s nominated alongside Austin Butler who impressed with his role as the legendary rock’n’roll singer, Elvis Presley, in Baz Luhrmann’s lively biopic, Elvis. Both of these actors are thoroughly deserving of the Oscar as, in my opinion, they delivered two of the most impressive performances of last year.

With an outstanding performance from Brendan Fraser, The Whale is a hard hitting drama.

8/10