The Whale (2022)- BFI London Film Festival 2022

Review

117min

Genre:       Drama

Director:     Darren Aronofsky

Cast:         Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau…and more

Writers:     Samuel D. Hunter

-Synopsis-

Stuck in his apartment with little human contact and the scars of grief weighing him down, an ailing and obese reclusive English teacher eating himself to an early grave takes the painful step of reaching out to the bitter daughter he abandoned when his marriage collapsed, taking a last-ditch effort to make amends and change a life before it’s too late in this heart-wrenching but hopeful meditation on human connection from the director of ‘Requiem for a Dream’ and ‘The Wrestler’.

After making his name with tense psychological thrillers and darkly symbolic biblical dramas in recent years, bold and visionary director Darren Aronofsky dusts off his talents for more traditional but no less stirring human drama fare—so successfully seen in his other father/daughter atonement tale 2008’s ‘The Wrestler’—joining forces with writer Samuel D. Hunter to weave together an unforgettable and utterly compelling character piece meditation on grief, neglect, mental health, and redemption. Masterfully tugging on heartstrings without an ounce of cheap Hollywood sentimentality to deliver his most intimate and arguably most touching film to date.

Brendan Fraser stars as barely mobile former English teacher and online literature lecturer ‘Charlie’, a morbidly obese middle-aged man who hides deep sadness under a kind and positive exterior, wallowing in exile in his grungy flat with no-nonsense friend/nurse ‘Liz’ (Hong Chau) as his only visitor and carer. But things change when his condition deteriorates, as he coaxes back into his life his resentful estranged rebellious teen daughter ‘Ellie’ (Sadie Sink)—after abandoning her and her mother ‘Mary’ (Samantha Morton) for love and his true self—while unexpected visits from young visiting Christian missionary ‘Thomas’ (Ty Simpkins) conspire with everything to prompt Charlie to reconnect and redemptively change the course of his girl’s life while he can.

Set in conservative Idaho during the 2016 US presidential election, ‘The Whale’ unfolds like a stage play chamber piece in one dingy unkempt apartment with Aronofsky stripping back most of the stylistic flourishes and camerawork that are characteristic of his previous work, to the point that this hardly feels like one of his films at all.

Instead the director opts for simplicity and a character study whose heart is worn on its sleeve, entrusting the screenwriting duties to playwright Samuel D. Hunter who adapts his own very personal 2012 play of the same name. Together they give us a frank and funny but heart-breaking yet heart-warming study of a decent and hugely sympathetic but flawed character who makes choices which hurt not only himself but others too, a man never truly allowed to be himself who then buries the pain of loss, grief, and guilt under layers of self-abuse, retreating from life and locking himself in a personal prison.

Needless to say everything then rides on the performances from the small ensemble cast and rests on the shoulders of its lead, and boy does Brendan Fraser deliver, completing a much lauded comeback after years of personal loss and health issues, a dwindling career, and sexual assault allegations against certain Hollywood insiders—all of which no doubt fed into his performance and the nuances of mental health he brings to the role.

The result is a remarkable lead performance which injects untold amounts of empathy and sympathy into a tender self-effacing personality, but also takes a frank and uncomfortable look at a broken man who’s given up on life and is charging towards congestive heart failure and early death. A man who struggles with the most menial household tasks we might take for granted, as Fraser and Aronofsky skilfully focus on the painful physical but also emotional and psychological toll of his toils—on both him and those around him.

The two of actresses supporting him meanwhile bring plenty of character and spirit into the piece, not to mention much of the candid humour and hilariously delivered earthy dialogue, with Hong Chau embodying the film’s fighting spirit as the feisty medically-minded friend who tells harsh truths but cares for Charlie like no other, and Sadie Sink representing the movie’s rage and resentment as the stroppy but smart and acerbic teenage daughter, made bitter at the world and towards her father by her abandonment, seeking salvation in all the wrong ways.

Ty Simpkins meanwhile proves something of a revelation as the chirpy runaway Christian missionary with a past, whose visits prove something of a catalyst for the philosophical discussion and self-exploration in the film, whilst also proving both a trigger for the exploration of LGBTQ+ struggles in the story, and a characteristic infusion of religion into the narrative from Darren Aronofsky.

Indeed beyond being a moving and candidly funny character drama, ‘The Whale’ is layered with many themes beyond Aronofsky’s preoccupation with the bible and Judaeo-Christian religion, not to mention oft re-visited explorations of anxiety and self-doubt, suffering and redemption. Not only is this a subtle gay story of loss, grief and regret, it’s also a mental health meditation on understanding and self-acceptance but also telling uncomfortable truths, a film about approaching people with empathy and acceptance but doing so with honesty and lucidity . . . and most importantly with love.

This is also somewhat of an ode to creativity and literature with a title referring to both the great beast in ‘Moby-Dick’ and the captain who hunts it—both two sides of the same coin and figures with which Brendan Fraser’s sedentary character relates—as Herman Melville’s 19^th century novel becomes a central theme of the narrative. Most importantly though, ‘The Whale’ is a powerful dysfunctional family drama and an unflinching character piece which champions the merit and need for brutal honesty, particularly in today’s society, even if it brings hurtful and challenging truths.

The Bottom Line…

An achingly poignant and moving yet hilariously candid chamber piece dysfunctional family drama and character study, ‘The Whale’ proves Darren Aronofsky’s most intimate and charming film to date, anchored by an award-worthy lead performance and strong supporting ones around him. An utterly compelling and layered study on grief, isolation, and regret, which will tickle the funny bone and tug at the heartstrings before breaking it altogether—but leaving some hope for a little more understanding in humanity.

‘The Whale’ is out on the 9th of December in US cinemas, and the 3rd of February 2023 in the UK.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

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Having lost everything in Los Angeles, a suicidal alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter takes his last paycheck to Las Vegas with the intent of living large and drinking himself to death, only to form a complex bond of mutual acceptance with a local prostitute, as they head towards their bleak fates but with unexpected reciprocal love in their hearts.

Directed by Mike Figgis and starring Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue and Julian Sands among others.

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