Venice 2022: Brendan Fraser is exceptional in Aronofsky's "The Whale"

Honesty matters so much. More than anything, especially right now. But it is quite dangerous; it can be hard to hear, disruptive and upsetting when that honesty stings. But we really need honesty. It can change us, it can impact the world, it can bring us closer together as we grow from the emotions we feel when struck by this honesty. There's so much about The Whale, but the discussions of honesty in the film touched me the most. I can't deny it, honesty is so important to me, even though it has hurt me so much in my life. Darren Aronofsky's new film The Whale is another knockout. I think it may be his best since The Fountain (which is a controversial statement because not everyone likes that movie). It's a moving, heartbreaking and deeply felt story, told to perfection by a master filmmaker who knows how to get the best performances out of his actors. I was overwhelmed with emotions, wiping away my tears for an hour afterwards.

Adapted from the play by Samuel D. Hunter, with a screenplay also written by Hunter, The Whale is filmmaker Darren Aronofsky's last film since directing Mother!< /em> in 2017 – which also premiered in Venice and oh the critics hated it. I loved it (here is my review from the time). Every movie directed by Aronofsky is worth watching. Every movie he makes is always about obsession, whether it's ballet, wrestling, drugs, love or, in this case, food. But his films are also about the limitless nature of love and passion, and they are extraordinarily moving films based on genuine emotions and the kind of feelings that can change everything. The Whale stars Brendan Fraser as Charlie, a morbidly obese man who never leaves his apartment. The entire film is actually set in his apartment and is about his relationship with his daughter Ellie, played by Sadie Sink, who randomly shows up one day, as well as a clumsy missionary from a local Christian church who won't stop. to knock on his door. As he attempts to reconnect with Ellie, all of their emotions erupt from them. As heartbreaking as it may be to see them being so brutally honest, that is precisely what changes everything.

To solve this problem, The Whale is by no means a shameful film. In fact, much of the dialogue refutes this. His best friend, a nurse who visits him all the time played by Hong Chau, often talks about how he doesn't need to "save". He doesn't want to go to the hospital, he doesn't want redemption, he doesn't need it. He just wants to be honest with those he loves and he wants to help those he can. While many people will think he's gross, Charlie is a very handsome person under all that fat. And that is ultimately the purpose of this film. His positivity is even mocked in a few scenes, while everyone around him rages about his neglect, how everyone sucks, and people shit on each other. All of that is true, really, but here is a man who can't even stand on his own and yet he is filled with so much warmth and so much kindness and so much love for those around him. There are a lot of depressing and cynical conversations in this film, but behind it all is this story of compassion, of reminding people that they are incredible. Of course, laugh at me for repeating this, but it's true and I don't mind being honest about it.

In terms of cinema, Aronofsky is undoubtedly one of the most talented American filmmakers making movies today and he has proven it time and time again with everything he does. It's not easy to make a movie about an extremely fat man who can't leave his apartment, while still making it fully watchable and moving. It's incredibly difficult to make this story look good on screen and have an uplifting undercurrent, especially when there's so much cynicism here, but Aronofsky's partnership with cinematographer Matthew Libatique has made it happen. once again proved fruitful. The story is based on a play, but Aronofsky is able to make it cinematic, with clever insert shots and careful framing (using the condensed Academy 1.375:1 aspect ratio). As the movie ended, my mind started to wonder if it would be as engaging on repeat viewing, or if I would even want to see it again, but as I sat drenched in tears during the final scenes, I had the distinct feeling that this will be the kind of movie I find myself revisiting and feeling d...