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Film Review: The Whale

Updated: Apr 6, 2023

Welcome back to the blog, readers. It is no secret that I have been dying to see the New Darren Aronofsky film The Whale, especially with all of the buzz coming out of Venice in September. A psychological drama starring Brendan Fraser in his comeback role, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins, and Samantha Morton, the film sees a reclusive English teacher named Charlie attempting to rekindle his relationship with his estranged daughter after a tragedy led to him becoming severely obese.


I recently, FINALLY got to see this film, and here are my spoiler-free thoughts. I think the film is pretty good; not Best Picture-worthy, but a good watch that gets hard to watch by the end. Before I get to the good, I want to talk about what I didn't like about the film. I really could not get connected with Ty Simpkins's character, a failed missionary who makes it his mission to save someone and convert them to Christianity to make his life seem more meaningful. I assume his story is supposed to act as a parallel to Fraser's Charlie. But I didn't really like his character, and I saw Sathya Sridharan's role to be pretty pointless.


Now let's get to the good. I became a fan of Sadie Sink with Stranger Things, and she kind of carried the show's super-stuffed fourth season with a heart-breaking and emotional turn that should have gotten her an Emmy. She was equally that in The Whale, finding a perfect balance of youthful rebellion and bitter resentment. I cannot believe she did not get some more love for this performance, because this role will make her the star I know she can be once Stranger Things comes to an end probably next year.


Hong Chau had one hell of a 2022, killing it in Mark Mylod's The Menu, where she plays an assistant to Ralph Fiennes's character and gives a performance that is nothing but chilling and electric. Her role in The Whale got her an Oscar nomination, and rightfully so. She is phenomenal as Charlie's nurse and friend, who shockingly has a connection to the grief-stricken Charlie. She gives a grounded performance that compliments Charlie and makes for the strongest duo in the film.


I obviously had to save the best for last: Brendan Fraser as Charlie. Holy shit. Everything I have heard about his performance was 100% true. Fraser gives an absolutely heart-shattering performance that will never be forgotten. I hung on to every single word he said, and I swear that he almost made me shed a tear three separate times. The emotion and power that he puts behind every word and every action is completely visceral and it is enough to make anybody weep. It is no secret that Austin Butler gave my favorite performance of 2022, but if I could redo the list retroactively, I absolutely would put Fraser at the top.


Once Samantha Morton shows up, all hell breaks loose. This film becomes hard to watch from that point, and features some of the best acting of the year, and retroactively is one of my top 5 scenes of the year. Some emotional bombs get dropped and we get possibly one of my favorite film lines of all time. Fraser's delivery of this line is absolutely top-notch and almost got me to tear up. Yeah, it was that good.


Another thing I want to mention is the score by Rob Simonsen. It is light-hearted in the places it needs to be, but when it requires it, the score is just as dark and brooding as the events we see on screen. I am so shocked now that the score was not nominated for an Oscar. It is such a good score.


One final thing I want to point out is the message of grief. We all deal with grief in different ways and how we deal with that grief ultimately decides what kind of person we are. And the way Charlie deals with grief is just tragic. It seems he had given up on himself and put all of his future into his daughter, who relents him for leaving her. It's so sad.


To conclude my thoughts, The Whale is a powerful look at grief and is anchored by three stellar performances, especially from Brendan Fraser, who puts his heart and soul out there for a performance that will never be forgotten. Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this review.

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