by Foster Harlfinger, Contributing Writer
Darren Aronofsky, no stranger to polarizing his audience, has crafted his next in a long line of love-it-or-hate it films with The Whale, a small-scale adaptation of Samuel D. Hunter’s play of the same name. Though the film’s limited release has already resulted in its fair share of strong reactions, both positive and negative, it is nigh impossible not to champion the triumphant return of Brendan Fraser to the silver screen.
Fraser stars as Charlie, a virtual English teacher who hopes to make amends with his teenage daughter upon learning that his morbid obesity will almost certainly kill him in one week’s time. Not dissimilar to Mickey Rourke’s comeback story for Aronofsky’s The Wrestler, Fraser is finally given the space to demonstrate his shamefully underutilized talents as a dramatic actor. The role of Charlie would be one of incredible physical and emotional demand for any actor, but it is Fraser’s gentleness and soft-spoken sensitivity that sets him apart from other actors of his generation. The early festival buzz and reports of minutes-long standing ovations result in unfairly high expectations for the film, but make no mistake: the praise for Fraser’s performance is anything but hyperbole. He truly is that good.
Visceral depictions of Charlie’s binge-eating episodes, along with a substantial number of venomous comments made directed at Charlie’s 600-pound weight by the film’s characters, have led many to mistakenly label the film as “misery porn.” On the contrary, though The Whale may be unrelenting in its portrayal of Charlie’s obesity, it contains such an undeniable sense of humanity at its core that one wonders if the authors of such critiques were conscious when watching the film.
The Whale wears its heart on its sleeve with its melodramatic screenplay and unsubtle messaging, to be sure, but such are Aronofsky’s intentions. In conversations with Charlie’s daughter (Sadie Sink), his best friend and nurse, Liz (Hong Chau), and a local Mormon missionary, (Ty Simpkins), Hunter’s screenplay peels back Charlie’s psychological layers to reveal notes of warmth, humor, and even optimism to his character. “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is a phrase which immediately comes to mind, but it is through Charlie’s earnest attempts to reconnect with his daughter — a “terror,” as her mother (Samantha Morton) describes her — that the film’s unexpectedly beautiful thesis is revealed: “People are amazing.”
It is difficult not to marvel at The Whale’s tremendous ensemble, and the practical makeup effects for Charlie, which itself weighed 300 pounds, are a shoe-in for Best Makeup and Hairstyling at this year’s Academy Awards. However, as Aronofsky himself has noted, there is a deep-rooted cynicism in modern culture that can make it difficult to appreciate the “earnestness” of The Whale’s message. The film’s themes can be seen from a mile away, and its admittedly over-the-top portrayal of Charlie’s strained family dynamics will be a turn-off for many. However, if you can give yourself into Aronofsky’s vision of hope and sincerity amidst the darkness, you will be treated to a thoughtful, life-affirming, and unapologetically emotional character study brilliantly brought to life by Fraser in one of the finest performances of the year.
Score: 9/10
The Whale is currently playing in theaters
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