The Whale

Aronofsky has disappeared from me for a long time and I stopped understanding him. Exaggerated metaphors or, on the contrary, semi-pathetic images did not suit me to the creator dreamy and uncompromisingly realistic. And now he has shown what he does best and combined it into one whole. How unpleasant scenes from everyday shattered life and the cycle of moments where dignity disappears - and into that dreams, fleeting moments of (presumed) happiness, sparks of hope where no one else would find them. Beauty, touching for its painfulness and watched with clenched teeth. (03/08/2024)

After not very well received film Mother! and five long years, the master of depressing and oppressive dramas is back, and he's still on form thanks to (his thematic favourite) God. Within Darren Aronofsky's filmography, The Whale is probably closest to The Wrestler in its somewhat restrained approach by the director's standards, as it also tells the story of the bitter life of a man at the end of his rope who has a problematic relationship with his daughter. In terms of premise, The Whale is not an inherently complex film, but it mixes in some interesting themes and moments that leave the viewer engaged with the action on screen. The lion's share of all this is of course (literally, given the fat-suit) the breathtaking performance of Brendan Fraser. I always had reservations about him, but here he proved his acting qualities to perfection as Charlie. He was ably seconded by all the supporting characters played by Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, as well as Ty Simpkins and Samantha Morton. While the film kept pretty much to the ground (or was it Earth?) (thanks to Charlie's mass, and not just Charlie), there were more than a few places where Aranofsky poked fun at his favorite Creator, but not in an underhanded or purposeless way. The Whale, like Charlie, may be naive and overly positive in places, but it also manages to convey the message that people can be amazing if they have support and are honest with themselves in an authentic and not aggressively weepy way. (03/09/2023)

If this were a raw last confession of a lost human soul without any pretensions and all sorts of gimmicks, it would be an absolute blast. The Whale shouldn't have been made by the master of allegories, Aronofsky, who combines uncompromising depression with religious motifs, art literature, and strange human creatures that might not be there at all – I was just waiting for parallel universes and other dimensions to appear. Two stars for the phenomenal Brendan Fraser and the moments when the film is exactly the coherent genre composition it should be for the entire runtime and not just a few fragments. (02/27/2023)

Who would have expected such drama from the combination of A24 and Darren Aronofsky? Until a few months ago, probably no one. But the result is superior art that is more or less unparalleled in modern cinema. On the one hand, very sensitive, on the other hand, a depressing, gloomy, dark and almost artistically poetic drama and a devastating collision with reality that at times makes you feel physically sick. Brendan Fraser has always been a mediocre lead actor, but here it's purely his one man show and the role of a lifetime that will be remembered from this day forward and after which he will be referred to as "that actor from The Whale", because such an iconic role will go down in history and be celebrated for a long time to come. Character-wise polished, actor-wise perfect and director-wise masterful, in short, it's clear that everyone here has a perfect sense of scene and can create unexpectedly intense atmosphere and feelings of tension within an "ordinary" drama. I didn't believe that The Whale could be that good a film, but now I know that all the recent awards and titles it has won are simply rightful. (03/05/2023)

It makes me happy whenever a movie draws me in so perfectly that I forget it's just a movie. And this one did it extremely well. I know Brendan Fraser as more of a comedic actor, but he convinced me that he deserves an award for his performance here. I consider the Oscars highly politically influenced, but if it makes anyone happy, let it be Brendan Fraser. Fans of more action-packed spectacles might not enjoy this film, but I really immersed myself in the story and enjoyed watching the protagonist whose suicide was agonizingly slow, as well as all the secondary, undernourished characters. I really enjoyed the character of Liz, who was smaller in size but 10 feet tall at heart, and Sadie Sink as the bitchy Ellie. Despite being profound, the film did not dissolve into boring philosophizing about the transience of human life. On the contrary, the creators spiced it up with a pizza night that turned into an evening with Mr. Creosote, and I couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't help but notice that the Heimlich maneuver has evolved, and I'm glad that there was space for occasional flashes of subtle humor. / "You say you're sorry one more time, I will shove a knife right into you, I swear to god!" "Go ahead, what's it gonna do? My internal organs are two feet in, at least." / Lesson learned: If you decide to commit suicide, be aware that some methods are time-consuming and financially demanding. 5*- (03/27/2023)