Brendan Fraser is receiving praise and awards for his performance in this film where he plays an extremely obese and dying college professor. It’s a performance, and a film, that completely looks and feels manufactured.
Adapted for the big screen from a 2012 play by Samuel D. Hunter (the film looks like a play), ‘The Whale’, directed by Darren Aronosky, is directed with too much precision that it becomes both sloppy and misguided and completely fails in its message. Housebound Charlie (Fraser – wearing a fat suit) conducts his college courses on zoom so his obese and grotesque body (600 pounds) is not seen by his students. He can barely get around his apartment; he uses a wheelchair to go from room to room. He has a carer who comes in to help him out (a very good Hong Chau), but is she caring for him out of obligation, or love? You see, she is the sister of Charlie’s deceased lover Alan.
More ridiculous conflict is introduced as his daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink) from a previous relationship with Mary (Samantha Morton) re-appears into his life whom he’s trying reconcile with before his ultimate demise. And to top it off he continues to receive visits from an evangelical Mormon (Ty Simpkins) who has other motives that are not very clear.
The music swells during the ‘dramatic‘ moments as Aronofsky plays with your emotions, and not very effectively. And we all know what’s going to happen to The Whale. Fraser tries his hardest to ‘act’ (including donning a fat suit and using a prosthetic for a shower scene) but it’s a performance, and a film, that’s unworthy of its alcolades. You’ll finish the movie shaking your head at having your emotions falsely played with and a deep resentment that this film is not as good as it should’ve been. Fraser was in the audience at the screening we saw the film at, and he received a 20 minute standing ovation. We’d like to think it was for this comeback, and not necessarily for his performance in this film, or for the film itself.
FABUK saw this film at the 2022 London Film Festival
‘The Whale’ is currently playing in UK cinemas.
Review by Tim Baros