After a long hiatus, audiences at Tyneside Cinema welcome the beautiful soul that is Brendan Fraser back to the big screen for Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale.
No stranger to dependency-fueled features, Aronofsky trades in the class A’s for fast food. Based on Samuel D. Hunter’s play of the same name, we follow the story of Charlie (Fraser) an individual trapped within the confines of his apartment due to his morbid obesity and debilitating health.
As we open with Charlie being caught in quite an embarrassing situation (quite the understatement), the first full sentence we hear is that of an essay on Moby Dick. And with that, the tone is set as we journey into a world of both obsession and addiction. Packed with symbolism from the get-go, we see Charlie struggle to his feet revealing, not only just how big he truly is, but also a patch of back sweat resembling that of a Whale’s tale.
Set predominantly within the four walls of his apartment, with brief glimpses of happier times, you can truly immerse yourself in the lead character’s lifestyle.
Fraser truly embodies the role and wears his heart on his sleeve, giving a stunningly, authentic performance throughout.
As well as a brilliant supporting ensemble, perfect casting doesn’t even come close to describing the main man himself. Having gone through his fair share of traumatic trials and tribulations off-screen, Fraser truly embodies the role and wears his heart on his sleeve, giving a stunningly, authentic performance throughout.
A tremendously, heartfelt story of loss and the devastating effects that can come with it. However, one thing is for sure… cinema snacks definitely aren’t advised as we see a man on a self-destructive path, filling a void and eating his way into an early grave.
Jacked In Recommends ‘End of Days’ (1999)
It’s 1999 and the citizens of New York City are getting ready for the turn of the millennium. Unfortunately, […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Script in Progress’ (2023)
Bruno Guillard’s Script in Progress aka En cours d’écriture sees a documentary crew following creative […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ (2021)
1999, the year a movie was released that broke grounds like no movie before it. It showed a bleak outlook on the […]
Jacked In Recommends ‘Sound of Metal’ (2019)
Sound of Metal follows the life of heavy-metal drummer Ruben, whose life gets thrown into disarray as he begins to […]
Jacked In Recommends ‘The Descent’ (2005)
A year after the tragic loss of her husband and daughter, Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) goes on a hiking trip with her […]
Jacked In Recommends ‘Frailty’ (2001)
Frailty begins with numerous victims going missing all over Texas, courtesy of the God’s Hand Killer. All of a […]
23 Batman Movie Moments You’ll Never Forget
Over the years we’ve had many interpretations of Batman, his villains, Gotham city and just the whole aesthetic of […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Bite The Hand’ (2023)
Bite the Hand sees Grace (Lucy Shervington), an individual attending counselling for depression brought on by her […]
Jacked In Recommends ‘The Monster Squad’ (1987)
Horror’s answer to The Goonies, The Monster Squad follows a bunch of kids in a club based around, you guessed it, […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Perspective’ (2023)
Perspective chucks you straight into the deep end as we follow the story of Mike (Velton J Lishke) – an […]
Jacked In Recommends ‘The Tinder Swindler’ (2022)
Swipe left, swipe right, left, right, left, left, right- IT’S A MATCH!.. Sound familiar? Tinder is one of the most […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Kinds of Kindness’ (2024)
If you go into the movie with no preconceptions, what initially appears to be a chapter set up eventually reveals […]