Directed by:
Darren AronofskyCinematography:
Matthew LibatiqueComposer:
Rob SimonsenCast:
Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins, Samantha Morton, Sathya Sridharan, Huck MilnerVOD (2)
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From Darren Aronofsky comes The Whale, the story of a reclusive English teacher who attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter. (A24)
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Reviews (15)
An acting masterclass combined with a masterclass in unnecessary directorial manipulation. If Darren had reined in his desire to drag the viewer into a fit of transcendent emotion and had carried the film through to the end as an intimate story about a human mass of guilt and loneliness, it might have had the punch that he last achieved in The Wrestler. Unfortunately, however, this is how the redemption of a self-destructive man becomes more distant the more the director tries to make it poignant. Fraser, on the other hand, deserves maximum respect, as he account for all of the humor and humanism in this dubious dramatic cetacean.
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The Whale is a balanced mix of intimate psychology and touching sentiment. It is engaging primarily thanks to its main character, the likes of which cinema has not seen before, as he is shocking in his appearance and studying his inner self is enjoyable. Brendan Fraser is excellent with incredible make-up and is supported perfectly by Sadie Sink in the role of his daughter. Their encounters overflow with unspoken emotions and anger over the hurt on one side and regret on the other. Yes, Fraser’s character pities himself too much and his discovery of the importance of sincerity in life is laughable, but even so, The Whale remains a beautiful and sensitive film that doesn’t lack artistic investment by its creator.
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In terms of sentimentality and weepiness, Darren Aronofsky takes it to absurd lengths, and while I don't feel that it ever slips into the realms of emotional blackmail, I imagine that many viewers will have a big problem with this. I was able to get over it, mainly thanks to the almost hypnotic performance of the lead actor. Yeah, if there's anything about this movie that really needs to be highlighted and remembered, it's Brendan Fraser. He simply pulls it off on his weight as far as his heart and blood vessels will take him, and the whole film relies on his performance. I was also pleased to see that Aronofsky went for a more civil, intimate and straightforward material and was not as overly pretentious this time as he is wont to be. He could have cut down a bit on the tearfulness, but it's definitely a morbidly fat thumbs up for me.
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Who would have expected such drama from the combination of A24 and Darren Aronofsky? Until a few months ago, probably no one. But the result is superior art that is more or less unparalleled in modern cinema. On the one hand, very sensitive, on the other hand, a depressing, gloomy, dark and almost artistically poetic drama and a devastating collision with reality that at times makes you feel physically sick. Brendan Fraser has always been a mediocre lead actor, but here it's purely his one man show and the role of a lifetime that will be remembered from this day forward and after which he will be referred to as "that actor from The Whale", because such an iconic role will go down in history and be celebrated for a long time to come. Character-wise polished, actor-wise perfect and director-wise masterful, in short, it's clear that everyone here has a perfect sense of scene and can create unexpectedly intense atmosphere and feelings of tension within an "ordinary" drama. I didn't believe that The Whale could be that good a film, but now I know that all the recent awards and titles it has won are simply rightful.
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It makes me happy whenever a movie draws me in so perfectly that I forget it's just a movie. And this one did it extremely well. I know Brendan Fraser as more of a comedic actor, but he convinced me that he deserves an award for his performance here. I consider the Oscars highly politically influenced, but if it makes anyone happy, let it be Brendan Fraser. Fans of more action-packed spectacles might not enjoy this film, but I really immersed myself in the story and enjoyed watching the protagonist whose suicide was agonizingly slow, as well as all the secondary, undernourished characters. I really enjoyed the character of Liz, who was smaller in size but 10 feet tall at heart, and Sadie Sink as the bitchy Ellie. Despite being profound, the film did not dissolve into boring philosophizing about the transience of human life. On the contrary, the creators spiced it up with a pizza night that turned into an evening with Mr. Creosote, and I couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't help but notice that the Heimlich maneuver has evolved, and I'm glad that there was space for occasional flashes of subtle humor. / "You say you're sorry one more time, I will shove a knife right into you, I swear to god!" "Go ahead, what's it gonna do? My internal organs are two feet in, at least." / Lesson learned: If you decide to commit suicide, be aware that some methods are time-consuming and financially demanding. 5*-
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