After a number of wilderness years, former heartthrob Brendan Fraser is getting rave reviews for his turn in The Whale, the latest film from highbrow provocateur Darren Aronofksy. The star of The Mummy is even up for (and tipped to win) a Best Actor Oscar. But what is The Whale about?
Written by Samuel D. Hunter, who adapts his own acclaimed stage play The Whale sees Fraser as Charlie, a morbidly obese English professor who teaches online courses but tells his students his camera is broken out of shame over his appearance. A shut-in, Charlie’s only friend is his nurse, Liz (Hong Chau of Downsizing). But long ago, Charlie was married and had a daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink of Stranger Things), and as his health deteriorates thanks to years of binge eating, he resolves to reconnect with her before he dies.
Things are complicated further by the appearance of Thomas (Ty Simpkins), a young evangelical missionary who starts visiting Charlie, determined to save his soul. However, it soon emerges that both Charlie and Liz are familiar with Thomas’ church, and it may have something to do with the collapse of Charlie’s marriage to Mary (Samantha Morton) and his subsequent estrangement from the still-hostile Ellie.
All this takes place largely in Charlie’s apartment, as his great weight limits his ability to move about. An intimate drama, The Whale wrestles with notions of guilt, forgiveness, faith, grace, and empathy, asking us to open ourselves to the experiences of a character who would be treated as a punchline or a freak in a less humane film.
It’s very much an actors’ film too, privileging character and interpersonal drama over action and bombast, and giving Fraser one of the best roles of his career. There’s little wonder over why he was nominated, and anyone who appreciates great acting owes it to themselves to check out The Whale as soon as possible.
