It looks like Brendan Fraser’s making somewhat of a comeback, after quite a few tribulations in his personal life. Most of my generation would remember him from the 1999 version of The Mummy—which I didn’t quite love like some seemed to, but I certainly enjoyed it nonetheless (no need to worry about the sequels, though). And now he’s teaming up with Darren Aronofsky for a very different type of film with The Whale.
Fraser here plays Charlie, a reclusive online tutor who, well, has a bit of a weight problem to put it mildly. With grievances between his family, with very obvious suicidal tendencies, and with straining relations even with his carer Liz (Hong Chau), Charlie doesn’t seem to have much beyond a friendly demeanour and his love for his delinquent daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink). The film takes place entirely in his apartment bar a few shots, sort of like a stage play, as Charlie has things come to a head between his family and the others who seem to be entering his life, including young Christian evangelizer Thomas (Ty Simpkins).
As far as Aronofsky films go, it’s got its share of intense and nauseating moments from the get-go as you may expect, with little spared with Charlie’s health problems. Tone-wise, however, it’s still fairly fluffy compared to the fever dream that was, well, Requiem for a Dream, as well as Mother. Charlie, as we find out, has certainly done wrong by people—but it becomes clear enough that he has a sincere desire to repent, even if others may not accept it. Who’s wrong and who’s right is something left to the viewer—refreshingly enough, things aren’t entirely clear-cut, just like in real life, with everyone having validity for the way they feel.
There’s also a theme of genuineness in this, and one that it becomes apparent is very important to Charlie. In this age of digital drivel and computer-generated crapola it’s one I can sympathize with—but it’s also one that doesn’t really gel well into the rest of the narrative, which can feel a little fuzzy in what it’s trying to convey overall at the end of the day.
That may be why some of the reception is a little mixed, but for most people, the important thing is how it’s presented—and I admit I never doubted Fraser’s performance once through the film, nor anyone else’s come to think of it. He may not be as young and handsome as he was when he was fighting undead Egyptian sorcerers, but that doesn’t mean Fraser doesn’t have the chops to sell what’s on offer here—and for most, the raw emotions we get here will certainly make this one a worthwhile watch.
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