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.
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