The Whale is the film that has excited me more than any other since lockdown. While the story itself is remarkable, the acting has me champing at the bit to recommend it.
It’s all set in a rundown apartment in Idaho. Charlie (Brendan Fraser) is morbidly obese. His blood pressure is off the charts and he’s suffering from congestive heart failure. He can hardly move and barely gets by with the aid of a Zimmer frame. He lives alone in the apartment he never leaves. He gorges himself. He orders his food in and that means lots of carbs and sugar, including daily pizzas.
Charlie is an online university English teacher who encourages his students to be bold and express their honest feelings in writing.
One day, out of the blue, a young Christian missionary, Thomas (Ty Simpkins), arrives just as Charlie is having a severe medical episode. But Charlie point-blank refuses to go to hospital (he claims it’s because he has no health insurance). Rather, he relies upon daily visits from a nurse friend, Liz (Hong Chau). She and Charlie both recognise that the end is near for him. Notwithstanding her frustration at his refusal to seek medical attention, she does what she can to help. Liz is also frustrated by the arrival of the bible-basher. During the course of the movie, we find out why.
Importantly, we also discover that Charlie used to be married to Mary (Samantha Morton). But he left her and their then eight-year-old daughter Ellie nine years ago, after he started an affair with a male student. He hasn’t seen Ellie since. Unexpectedly, the now wild and angry 17-year-old Ellie (Sadie Sink) re-enters his life after Charlie promises to help her write essays to get her through school, which she’s failing.
My summary has barely brushed the surface of what is going down here. But I’m not about the spoil the surprise, nor the reward one gets by watching this very special film. The Whale has the appearance of a totally involving theatrical piece. That’s not surprising, given it was written by Samuel D. Hunter, based on his own acclaimed 2012 play of the same name. Academy Award nominated director Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) has woven a substantive tale, in which the gradual reveals help build the full picture. The title refers to an essay about Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick that Ellie wrote; and could cruelly refer to Charlie’s size.
The film benefits enormously from a series of stellar and memorable performances from the small cast, headlined by Brendan Fraser as you’ve never seen him. It’s an Oscar-worthy turn, complete with breathlessness and physical impairment. He brings desperation and stoicism to the role. He’s both repugnant and alluring as Charlie. Sadie Sink mesmerises, too, as his vitriolic, estranged daughter, with a massive chip on her shoulder. Her delivery is nothing short of astounding, each barb hitting its mark with remarkable clarity and conviction. She has talent and I long to see what she does next. Hong Chau, who recently captivated audiences with her no holds barred performance in The Menu, backs it up with another here. She’s such a rounded and accomplished actor, who seems to have a fine understanding of the human condition. In this case, in equal measure she brings desperation, anger, love, understanding and acceptance to her character. For his part, Ty Simpkins readily channels the dichotomy that is the hallmark of the Christian zealot with a skeleton or two in the closet.
The intense character focus in cinematographer Matthew Libatique’s lens also greatly benefits the production. It’s as if I was eyeing off windows to their souls.
The Whale is a film of rare quality that worked its way into my psyche as only the finest offerings can. It is “must see” material that deserves to be heavily feted in the upcoming awards’ season.
Alex First
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Alex First is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.