This review was made possible due to attending a Press Screening for The Whale for review at London Film Festival 2022.
A reclusive English teacher living with severe obesity attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption. It felt incredibly surreal watching a film that currently has no marketing whatsoever. The Whale is an emotional and heart-breaking film, led by an absolutely incredible performance from Brendan Fraser.
Fraser is BACK!
Where to start when it comes to discussing Fraser’s performance? I was honestly blown away, and didn’t expect to be moved as much as I was during the screening at London Film Festival. His character is depressed, and is struggling and think he plays this role with a lot of care, and it is clear he is thinking so much about his portrayal. I do see Fraser’s name being thrown around a lot when it comes to Best Actor discussions and rightly so.
It is worth noting that some of Fraser’s scenes are incredibly uncomfortable to watch due to the extreme nature of them at times. Watching an obese man as he binges on greasy foods and meatball subs to then vomit them up straight away was not what I was wanting to see first thing in the morning, and despite being a fictional film, you do get upset seeing what Charlie does to himself. It’s truly tragic. I must commend the makeup team for creating the prosthetic suit which Fraser wears as Charlie.
The Many Elements of ‘The Whale’
Also, the production and set design of the film is great. Cramped framing of shots and the fact we rarely leave Charlie’s home are two of the best ways Aronofsky achieves the idea of the very same claustrophobia Charlie is feeling, Perfectly demonstrating the barriers he’s put up to keep the outside world out and it works really well.
Sadie Sink stars as Charlie’s daughter, Ellie. Fraser and Sink have some really powerful scenes with each other. Especially during the film’s climax. Sink is arguably one of the best young actresses on the scene currently. Hong Chau is someone I am incredibly excited to watch going forward. There is a lot to look forward to in Chau’s upcoming roles. She brings a sense of realism to the melodrama as her character supports Charlie through his health troubles. It is Chau’s performance which ultimately broke me. The build-up of emotion is absolutely crushing when the ball eventually drops.
Fancy reading something else? Why not check out: ‘Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical’ Review | London Film Festival 2022
Additionally, I do see Fraser getting a nomination at the Oscars for Best Actor and would be so happy to see Hong Chau receive her own nomination for Best Supporting Actress. I look forward to seeing her role in the upcoming Searchlight film, The Menu – and speculation suggests that it could be the Surprise Film at this year’s festival…
As heartbreaking as it is, this is by far one of the best films of the year. Fraser and Chau give incredible performances, two fantastic actors. Easily some of Aronofsky’s best work to date.
The Whale arrives in UK cinemas on February 3. A trailer can be seen below:
