The Whale (2022)

Oh boy there is a lot going on in The Whale, and I don't mean there is a lot going on in terms of plot or characterization. I mean there is a lot going on in the background, the baggage of the film, and what it leaves for the audience. 

Writer/director Darren Aronofsky has crafted his protagonist in this film to be as sympathetic and possible, whose queerness and size are designed really only to illicit our sympathy although perhaps not empathy. He remains othered enough that we are not necessarily supposed to relate to him or see ourselves in him. His choice perhaps is for his audience to see themselves in relationship to him either as Chau's character (if we are generous to ourselves), or maybe Sink's, or maybe even Simpkins' (if we are being truly honest). But this in itself is a choice which is challenging for the film as its subject is subject to our gaze and whatever we bring to that. Perhaps this is bold in how this forces us to confront our own fatphobia and homophobia but I'm not sure its successful in getting us there. And the whole time his central character remains more on display than in connection with his audience. 

There has been a lot of talk of Fraser's performance here and it is remarkable, understated, and lived in. Fraser commits fully to being Charlie and doesn't overdo it. The movie benefits from his power in this role perhaps mitigating some of the film's other poor choices. But his character remains a martyr, suffering completely at the hands of the rest of the cast out of his guilt over his sin of living his full life. The script occasionally has him defend his choices but mostly punishes him for it. I went back and forth throughout the film as to whether or not I felt it was treating him fairly. But in the end he remained more of a repository for the anger and discomfort of our culture, than someone to transform it. 

And Aronofsky doesn't quite find a balance in tone here. The Whale wants to be an intimate film but its characters speak like they are reading a laundry list of their feelings so that the audience can understand. There are many times a character will rush out in anger dramatically only to stop at the door, pause, and return in very "acty" feeling moments. The characters rarely felt real, more like stand ins for archetypes. It wasn't just Fraser's Charlie who felt like a device, pretty much all of them did. 

So yes I think Fraser deserves the praise he is getting for this despite the film being problematic in many ways, some of which are just Aronofsky being Aronofsky. I think it is an interesting watch because it certainly gets you thinking about stuff even if it's not maybe what it wants you to. 

The Whale

Starring: Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins, Samantha Morton

Writer/Director: Darren Aronofsky