The Whale

A reclusive English teacher suffering from severe obesity attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption.

  • Released:
  • Runtime: 117 minutes
  • Genre: Drama
  • Stars: Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Samantha Morton, Ty Simpkins, Hong Chau, Sathya Sridharan, Huck Milner, Ryan Heinke, Ryan Heinke, Huck Milner, Jacey Sink
  • Director: Darren Aronofsky
 Comments
  • herbdavey-12055 - 12 January 2023
    Powerful and Touching Film
    I absolutely loved this film. I saw it alone and I'm glad I did. When the closing credits started rolling, the music and vibe was amazing, but I had to leave the theater right away. I really wanted to sit there longer and digest because I was so touched by the film. I rarely cry in films. :)

    I thought the acting top to bottom was amazing. Obviously Brendan Fraser, but I was really taken by Sadie Sink too.

    I love that it all took place in one setting as well. The apartment. That's hard to do and just a reflection of how powerful a film it was. And the opening sequence when it showed the black screen for him as the professor was super creative and effective.

    Great great film and I hope it wins some Oscars. Brendan should definitely win one, but I hear there's some controversy so maybe he won't. Otherwise, I would place a bet on him.
  • itrevorallen - 8 January 2023
    Emotionally Heavy w/ an Incredible Lead Actor
    I don't know that I am capable of writing a review good enough to capture this movie's depth but I'll try. The entire movie is devastating and holds no punches, the tragic tale addresses one of the only forms of addiction we as a society seem to have deemed unacceptable to accept/understand. Instead, treating it as if it were a disgusting choice made by those who suffer from it. While mental health and substance abuse have become movements we strife to improve upon, food addiction is treated as though the person is simply lazy or stupid. I'm sure most of us, myself included, are guilty of those subconscious thoughts.

    This isn't a lecture but I ensure you this isn't the case with food addiction. If you believe it is take the time to google leptin resistance, epigenetic role in obesity (ob gene), and the various forms of microbiome development.. This is my request as an obese medical student who finds himself in awkward positions and feeling like a hypocrite in many patient interactions.

    Beyond the looming subject of food addiction the film further interwinds the treatment of the LGBTQ+ community and how religion participates in the historical treatment of those within the community. The relationships Charlie forms with his friends and family and even random strangers. Such as Dan the pizza man, who is friendly and kind until the day he seems Charlie, at which time all of which changes. Or his students, who upon a face reveal instead of being kind or even normal, appear disgusted or as if they want to snicker at his appearance.

    There is likely a great deal of symbolism I am missing in the film. Such as the bird and its plate, which then break just prior to Charlie's death. If you haven't, watch the movie for yourself.

    Acting: 10/10 Story: 10/10 Emotion: 10/10 Effects: - No need.

    Cinematography: 10/10, overly simple, boring, dark, all of which add to the film's purpose.