I just watched "The Whale," and Brendan Fraser's performance was incredible. He deserves to win an Oscar this year. I can't imagine what he went through to bring the character to life.
The story of the film is simple, with few characters, and the scenes are mainly set in the apartment's interior and the hallway outside. It is a work entirely supported by the actors' performances.
Brendan Fraser plays Charlie, who starts binge-eating uncontrollably after his lover's death and tries to take his own life through this method.
The whale's life is a metaphor for Charlie's, who discovers freedom, loneliness, and ultimately acceptance of death. His musings on the whale are a recurring motif throughout the film.
His murmured articles about the whale run through the whole film, like his life-saving medicine, until the end of the film. Charlie makes his daughter read this article, and his daughter realizes that she is reading an article she wrote when she was young. Charlie, struggling to stand up, walks towards his daughter as she reads, using his last bit of strength......
Director Darren Aronofsky presents the intense emotions of life and death through marginalized characters and dramatic staging. The film celebrates the value of life, rebellious faith, and the warmth of family.
Whether it's "Requiem for a Dream," "The Wrestler," or "Black Swan," Darren Aronofsky's films used to be intense and critical. This film is much gentler, as if the director has come to a realization in his old age and is no longer sharp, but reconciled with the world.
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