‘Do you ever get the feeling that people are incapable of not caring?‘
Hollywood loves a comeback. I must admit that a cameo in Scrubs aside, I was never much of a Brendan Fraser fan the first time around which is probably part of the reason it has taken me so long to watch The Whale. Fraser inevitably won Best Actor for his admittedly excellent performance but for my money, he isn’t even the best thing about this film…
Following the death of his lover, Charlie (Fraser) has ballooned in size and is marooned on his sofa. Earning a living as an online English teacher (with the camera turned firmly off), Charlie relies on the kindness of his friend Liz (Hong Chau) but refuses to go to the hospital despite his morbid obesity. With things looking bleak for Charlie, a ray of hope appears with the unexpected arrival of his truculent and volatile daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink).
It is not only Brendan Fraser who needed a comeback. Controversial director Darren Aronofsky was Hollywood’s sweetheart after Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler and Black Swan, but after the huge misstep that was Noah and the divisive (but brilliant) Mother!, Aronofsky was in desperate need of a hit. This adaptation of Samuel D. Hunter’s play was far from a sure thing. The heavy prosthetics that Fraser endures could easily have derailed this movie, as could his performance, but to his credit, the former The Mummy star is pitch perfect, just the right blend of self-pity, self-loathing and cautious optimism. The real star of this movie, however, is Sadie Sink, who provides the first truly great post-Stranger Things performance of any of the cast members. She is truly a force of nature here, a ball of fury one minute and a vulnerable child the next. If I’m being honest, she deserved an Oscar more than Fraser did, but what can I say? Hollywood loves a happy ending almost as much as it loves a comeback.
The Whale is a true emotional rollercoaster that never compromises on its themes or key message. As ever, Aronofsky takes plenty of risks and nearly all of them, apart from the film’s overly neat conclusion, pay off in spades. This film serves as a stark reminder that the Pi director is one of our finest auteurs and should be treasured.