There is nothing subtle about the whale. This title is the last work of one of the most remarkable active authors of the world of cinema. Depending on how you look at the story, it can be both sickening and intriguing. Of course, this isn’t anything new coming from Aronofsky, whose previous films are well-known milestones. Few directors have the same ability to stir up emotions and engage in this way. Mother, Black Swan, The Fighter and Requiem for a Dream are incredibly pale and emotionally impactful films that tell their stories through a surreal melodrama perspective. The Whale, on the other hand, is much more realistic and sentimental, but also dark in the story of its main character Charlie.
In what could very well be the last days of his life, we meet Charlie, a severely overweight man filled with self-pity and pain. Not just because of the situation he put himself in, but also because of the many events that led up to all of this. He is a man who has lost his life to addiction and bitterness, with a daughter who can no longer bear or care for him. Charlie lives a trying and hopeless daily life in which he seems to have accepted his fate after the suicide of his companion. But life is full of surprises, especially at the worst times. A passing Christian missionary almost saves his life, plus an unexpected visit from his daughter Ellie, it’s the beginning of something akin to redemption. A second and last chance for Charlie.
The theme of complex character drama is something familiar to those who have followed Darren Aronofsky’s career. Each individual is defined by their issues, whether physical or psychological, and Aronofsky always shines with his sharp view of self-destructive personality traits. Charlie, played to perfection by Brendan Fraser, gives the character a very nuanced portrayal, without any hint of sensationalism. More than anything, The Whale is about human addiction and the prisons people build for themselves in different ways. It’s a very honest and stripped-down production in which the dark, oppressive environments around it become a reflection of the sanity of the characters, especially Charlie.
It’s amazing how Fraser’s surprisingly warm and multifaceted performance takes The Whale of Brilliance to the exceptional, and Charlie’s oversized figure is one of the year’s most unforgettable characters. But Fraser isn’t alone in The Whale, Sadie Sink (playing his daughter) and Samantha Mortons (playing his alcoholic ex-wife) also steal the stage with their roles, providing much needed contrast and closeness. Sink’s resemblance to Fraser also works in his favor, especially in the way the actors convey emotions through their eyes, which are so similar it’s scary. It’s an incredibly well-thought-out cast that allows Sink to prove himself.
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As a viewer, whether or not you sympathize with Charlie is a very personal thing. The Whale is not a movie one would gladly choose to watch. As in many of Aronofsky’s other works, the experience is clearly difficult and uncomfortable, challenging us to look beyond our ideas. It’s a film of hope born in the darkest places, a study of the human condition in all its forms, and a devastating and moving journey that leaves a deep, but not necessarily positive, mark.