The whale it wouldn’t be what it is without the performance of brendan fraser. One of the “nightmares” of filmmakers when presenting their films at film festivals, or even during awards season, occurs when they realize their interpreter is stealing the film they have worked so hard to make.
There are examples and examples: in tar, Cate Blanchett is amazing, but the film’s support is not only her, although she is present in every scene. TO The whaleby Darren Aronofsky, what saves her is the performance of the ex George of the Jungle and actor of The Mummyadded to that of Hong Chau (The menu).
It is very noticeable that it is an adaptation (not entirely successful, of course) of a theatrical performance made into a film, and not only because, except for the first open panorama with which the film opens, everything takes place in the rooms of the house of Charlie.
Charlie is a teacher who teaches online courses. In the Zoom screen we see all the students, but in the rectangle that should appear the teacher is black. Charlie’s excuse to his students is that his camera doesn’t work, but he really doesn’t want them to see him. Charlie is morbidly obese.
Aronofsky isn’t kidding: the first time we see him, Charlie is lying on his couch masturbating to gay porn, and the effort ends in a heart attack that nearly kills him.
It is another tormented character, like that of the black Swanalso by Aronofsky, but for very different reasons.
With the star of “Stranger Things”
His daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink, Max in stranger things). Charlie left his mother and her daughter when she fell in love with a night school student a few years ago. The death of her partner apparently depressed him and brought him to the terrible state she is in.
The only prop, the only help she gets in her house, filled with pizzas and fried chicken, and chocolates and grease, is Liz (hongchaunominated for an Oscar as best supporting actress), the sister of his deceased partner, who luckily is a nurse, but she doesn’t understand why Charlie doesn’t go to the hospital for treatment, even if she explains that if she continues like this, the little or no life remains.
Another character she will meet in him is Thomas (Ty Simpkins), a Christian evangelist who belongs to the church of which Charlie’s partner was a member, who knocks on his door that day. And he saves him.
Of course there is the protagonist’s love for literature and for Moby Dick, Melville’s whale, and sees himself as the whale. Death pursues him and he wants to reconnect with his daughter. Charlie is wracked by the guilt that has haunted him since he left his family. He feels guilty about everything.
Although some dialogues reach the connection with the viewer, The whale It’s like a game of ping pong where sometimes playing short doesn’t work and playing long can waste all the hard work that has gone into a point. It’s not bad, but it’s not that good either, and it’s worth discerning and separating, appreciating what’s fat and what’s bloated.
“The whale”
Drama. USA, 2022. 117′, SAM 13 R. From: Darren Aronofsky. With: Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Rooms: Cinépolis Recoleta and Pilar, Cinemark Palermo, Hoyts Abasto, Showcase Belgrano and Norcenter.
Source: Clarin
