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 ‘The Butterfly Effect’ (2004)
Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher) has reached his adult years being a constant sufferer of blackouts which have caused […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Red Fox’ (2023)
Red Fox tells a powerful tale of blurred “justice” and despair, as a bunch of deluded folk of faith hunt a homeless […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Crimes of the Future’ (2022)
After more than a twenty-year hiatus from body horror, the legendary David Cronenberg makes his long-awaited return […]
11 Reasons Why ‘Superman III’ Is Better Than You Remember
Superman has certainly come a long way ever since Christopher Reeve reignited the character on the big screen back […]
Jacked In Recommends ‘The Iron Giant’ (1999)
The Iron Giant follows the story of Hogarth, a young boy who befriends a giant robot from outer space. Not knowing […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Brian and Charles’ (2022)
Brian and Charles follows the story of Brian (David Earl), a lonesome, wannabe inventor, who resides in the Welsh […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Uncut Gems’ (2019)
Similar to the Safdie brothers previous feature, Good Time, this movie does not take its foot off the pedal from […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ (2022)
As the story of Thor: Love and Thunder begins we get a compilation that fills in what Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘The Ribbon’ (2023)
We open on a young girl surrounded by (a foreshadowing) darkness but before we have time to start feeling worried, […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘The Defender’ (2023)
Gary J Hewitt’s The Defender pretty much delivers what it promises on the tin. This is a story we’ve seen […]
Jacked In Reviews ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ (2022)
Unlike previous MCU instalments, Multiverse of Madness sees Sam Raimi at the helm, the legendary director who, if […]
Jacked In Recommends ‘Whiplash’ (2014)
Whiplash follows the story of nineteen-year-old, aspiring drummer, Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller), in his first year […]