So, I had plans to see The Whale as soon as I could. I almost went a couple times this week, but I opted for other movies instead. It was the last of the various movies I had on my mental list of 2022 movies to see before 2023 started. I had heard nothing but praise about Brendan Fraser’s performance in the lead role, to say nothing of director Darren Aronofsky’s resume has generally always impressed me. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect as I hadn’t really seen any trailers, having only seen some photos of Fraser in the fat suit.
Well, I finally got to the movie, and it was very much worth my time.
Charlie (Fraser) is a reclusive, morbidly overweight shut-in. He’s gay, teaches English for a college online with his camera shut off, and his only real friend seems to be his nurse pal Liz (Hong Chau). However, the movie opens with Charlie suffering some sort of attack, saved from the looks of things by Christian missionary Thomas (Ty Simpkins). Liz observes Charlie is suffering from impending heart failure and will be dead by the end of the week if he doesn’t get himself to the hospital. Charlie refuses, and instead works to form a bond with his estranged daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink). He hasn’t really seen Ellie in a decade, but now that his time is perhaps drawing to a close, he seems to be looking to make up for lost time.
However, Ellie is still angry over how Charlie left her and her mother (Samantha Morton) for another man. Factor in as well that Ellie seems to be something of an awful person, something Charlie can’t or won’t see. There’s a lot more going on with Charlie than he lets on. His reasons for many of the things he says and does are more implied at times than outright stated. His life is a sad one where he does his best to stay out of sight, and even as his health gets worse, he still seems to be clinging for…something. Liz wants Charlie to get medical help. Ellie seems to just want him to write an essay for her English class. Thomas wants him to find God. What does Charlie want? And can he get that?
Now, I had heard Fraser gave a great performance in this movie, and I can safely say he most certainly did. Yes, they could have cast an actor who actually was that heavy instead of relying on a fat suit, but Fraser’s ability to conjure empathy, even through the make-up, really makes the movie what it is. Yeah, this was obviously a stage play first, but that doesn’t stop the movie from being incredibly moving. I know I found myself tearing up as the movie was coming to a close, and I am not ashamed to say so. When Fraser makes a plea to his ex-wife, I felt it. That’s a huge credit to Fraser’s performance, and I’ll even add some kudos to Sadie Sink, a perfectly likable actress on Stranger Things but here playing a rather detestable young girl whose father makes too many excuses for her.
It’s also to Aronofsky’s credit that this movie works as well as it does. He’s not as a director known for heartwarming stories. His work is always at least a little harsh and sometimes emotionally distant. However, The Whale hearkens back to one of his more conventional films, namely The Wrestler, another movie where a man works to reconnect with an estranged daughter after a diagnosis of a medical condition that could kill him if he doesn’t make some lifestyle changes and seek proper medical attention. Heck, the last scene in The Whale is highly reminiscent of the final scene of The Wrestler in certain respects. But as much as Aronofsky’s work can be estranging for audiences, that was not the case for The Whale. For that, I am grateful. It’s always nice to end the year with one of the movies I ended up liking best.
Grade: A
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