It turns out that “The Whale” is not a total hit with critics. Brendan Fraser might not even get nominated, but what he does have is a great narrative, so let’s not scratch off those Oscar hopes just yet.
A viral video of the standing ovation Fraser received as the credits rolled in Venice is as emotional as these kind of things get. How can you not root for the guy?
I managed to attend a private screening of Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale.” What Aronofsky has created is his least flashy film. Matthew Libatique’s services were not necessarily needed for this film, which is mostly composed of Brendan Fraser’s titular character sitting on a couch or, at times, a wheelchair.
In that respect, “The Whale” is the most classicist film of Aronofsky’s career. Its framing meticulously set-up to let its characters breathe a little. It’s a very conversationalist affair, as if the director of “mother!” decided to make the tonal opposite of his last movie.
Now, for the reviews …
A 2/5 from The Guardian. Meanwhile, SlashFilm with a 6/10. Lawson at Vanity Fair hated it. B- from IndieWire. Variety isn’t a fan. A 3/5 from IONCINEMA. Screen International is mixed. Guy Lodge calls it obvious and overwritten. The Wrap says it’s heavy-handed. Time claims is veers towards exploitation. Collider gives it a D+
The raves or near-raves:THR a fan. Telegraph with a 5/5. The Playlist loves. The Film Stage is a B+
This all equates, so far, to a 66 on Metacritic (based on six reviews). As previously mentioned, you can take this one off your Best Picture predictions. I’m still thinking Fraser has a shot at Best Actor, but it’ll be quite the trek for him to sneak into the top 5. What this A24-backed movie needs is good box-office, then maybe Fraser has a shot.
What exactly is the message of this movie? Why was it even made? The best possible answer to this question brings us back to a theme that Aronofsky has been obsessed with for 20+ years: redemption. Fraser’s Charlie is going to die, he is filled with regret and he wants to make amends with his daughter before he passes on. It’s a familiar refrain, but that’s basically the gist of this movie.
I wrote a couple of days ago:
“There will be a lot of divisive reactions when this screens tomorrow at Venice. I would bet it’ll stir up a lot of debate about screen representation and the overall topic of “fat shaming” in cinema. Aronofsky must have known that making a film that is most immediately centered on its main character’s obesity would spark outrage.”
Zeller’s feature debut, “The Father,” was an acclaimed and Oscar-winning film. Many believe he struck out with his sophomore effort, 2022’s critically maligned “The Son.” This is another miss.