User Reviews

Quel jeu d’acteur incroyable et quelle performance. J’ai adoré ce film du début à la fin

Beautiful story. Painful/uncomfortable to watch at some points. The painful story of the main character humanises self destructive deseases like obesity, which is a message worth telling/picturing.

This movie amazed me. I went into it thinking, “oh, maybe I shouldn’t have bought this movie before considering its quality”. No, I am happy to inform you that I did not regret that purchase. In fact, I went on to write an essay about that same movie right after I finished it. It may have had a low budget film, but as commonly said, necessity is the mother of invention. So was the case with this movie. The first thing I liked about it was the cinematography. I never thought I’d cherish a stationary shot of an open room. Secondly was the acting. Brilliant. The arguments seemed so genuine and upset. The conversations between Ellie and her father reflected the hatred she had built for him. Everything about it felt so human, something many movies fail to capture. And thirdly, the soundtrack. If you’ve got a chance, go take a listen to the final song in this score (“Safe Return”). The musical score tells a story of its own, I listened to it numerous times before watching the movie and became invested in watching it. The grim beauty of it all amazed me, a medley of synths, violin, and organ. Definitely check out the soundtrack. Overall, I have nothing bad to say about this film (other than the proficient use of cuss words throughout). It made me tear up during the end and emotional throughout the day. It portrays the bond between a father and daughter with elements of battling addiction and overcoming temptation in an excruciating way. Great movie overall, check it out if you will.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Darren Aronofsky's film The Whale is great. An outstanding ensemble cast, a good script, and excellent direction. A moving film about human failure, doubt, struggle, and the impact on those around us. Highly recommended.

A strongly played chamber piece with extreme sadness but at the same time always conveying a feeling of hope and compassion.

A gripping view on hopelessness and the lows it can bring people to, The Whale is earnest and asks you to examine true honesty for yourself.

8 Touchant !!! C'est un très beau drame, très très bien joué par Brendan Fraser qui excelle dans son rôle. Très belle surprise !

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Coming into this movie blind. I only had a faint idea of what to expect. All I knew was this was a film about a person who was overweight. Yet by the end of the movie, tears slid down my face like a rain shower. I realized that was just a product of what the film themes were. You had themes of Religion, Love, Abandonment, Stubbornness, Neglect, Being vulnerable, and being Closed off it can go on. I think the film's overall skeleton was filled with ironic values of life and honesty. The understanding of the characters was so clear and so misunderstood. But to be honest, it can also be told in a sentence. “A life of love that only causes pain.”. I believe this film captures human nature than most films to date. Overall I think this film for me gave me a “New life”.

Nive movie. Actors game is very good for a simple touching story. To be seen for what it is.

The somber tones of this drama echo throughout the apartment that imprisons charlie. Its well paced well cast and at times can be quite moving. Some of the screenplay comes across as ham fisted but it still feels true to itself (much like the essay from **** runtime flew past and i was very engaged with it.

I dont like watching such failures like the protagonists in this movie, so it was hard for me to follow. And the naive and weak opinions from the main protagonist were even more annoying. And did you notice the rude behaviour of the women... The acting was good though.

"Brendan Fraser delivers an incredibly powerful and touching performance in 'The Whale.' The film fearlessly explores controversial subjects such as religion, homosexuality, family divorces, and eating disorders, illustrating the intricate interconnectedness of everyone in our surrounding world."

IN A NUTSHELL: This touching film is based on a theatrical play also called “The Whale.” It’s about a reclusive, morbidly obese English teacher who attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter before his imminent death. It is brutally honest, raw, and heartbreaking. After the movie debuted at the Venice Film Festival, he was given a six-minute standing ovation by the audience. He deserved every minute of it and more. It brought him to tears and has ignited new love and appreciation for him from Hollywood and fans around the world. TIPS FOR PARENTS: This movie is not appropriate for children. The first scene shows a man pleasuring himself. Profanity, crude language, and F-bombs Talk of a homosexual relationship THINGS I LIKED: Brendan Fraser gives an Oscar-worthy performance. I could relate to him as an online professor. One of the classes I teach at a university is English, just like his character. While people have talked about his real-life weight gain, he wore a bodysuit to appear morbidly obese in this film. About the fat suit prosthetic, Fraser stated, “I developed muscles I did not know I had. I even felt a sense of vertigo at the end of the day when all the appliances were removed; it was like stepping off the dock onto a boat in Venice. That [sense of] undulating. It gave me appreciation for those whose bodies are similar. You need to be an incredibly strong person, mentally and physically, to inhabit that physical being.” It’s heartbreaking and fascinating to watch Brendan Fraser’s character vacillate between giving up on himself and having hope for a better life. The entire cast gave excellent performances and includes Sadie Sink, Ty Simpkins, Hong Chau, and Samantha Morton. Sadie Sink’s little sister in real life plays young Ellie in the flashback scenes. Sweet. The movie illustrates very well how we all fill our lives with something to reduce our pain, whether it be food, religion, relationships, sex, hatred, money, or something else. The screenwriter, Samuel D. Hunter, grew up in Moscow, Idaho where the movie takes place. Brendan Fraser’s character keeps ordering pizza from “Gambino’s”, which is an actual pizza place there. The story is loosely based on Hunter’s real life as a gay man who taught writing at Rutgers University and who struggled with an eating disorder. One-room movies are extremely difficult to film and keep an audience’s interest, but I was hooked the entire time (whale pun intended.) Director Darren Aronofsky loves to use symbolic images and characters to get audiences to think, as he did in his dramatic film Mother! in 2017. It’s an effective storytelling technique that allows him to create layers of understanding. I love it. He also creates connections between mathematical numbers and religion in his movies. Have you noticed that too? Samuel D. Hunter, the writer, does a fantastic job slowly revealing each character’s motivations. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: It’s a rough movie to watch.

I was reduced to tears at the end of the movie the last time I cried is when I was 10

The Whale In this drama movie, Brendan Fraser portrays an obese English teacher as he tries to make amends with his teenage daughter before he dies. This movie is solidly backed by its cast. Brendan Fraser delivers an excellent portrayal in this movie, undoubtedly his magnum opus. He lends an empathetic, haunting and tender depiction that elevates his character. Accurately balancing Brendan Fraser are Sadie Sink as his rebellious teenage daughter and Hong Chau as his nurse and the sister of his dead lover. The Whale's subject matter and portrayal may be polarising but the story is heart-tugging and compassionate. The Whale also keenly incorporates elements of religion, sexuality and abandonment. Is The Whale exploitative in its portrayal? Quite possibly. Is it fatphobic? That's subjectively open to interpretation. It does try to be honest and nuanced. I had high expectations before watching this, and my expectations were truly met. 9/10

First, this movie can only be appreciated by those with an open mind and heart, free of judgement, and those capable of forgiveness. I do not remember the last time I so thoroughly enjoyed a series of performances by very qualified actors inside a single apartment, with absolutely no change in location, and the only outside reference being the ever-changing weather. Every component of the scenes is a metaphor, richly layered on each other. Brandon Fraser most certainly deserves the accolades for this performance of a lifetime. His depiction of a bariatric patient in the extreme stages of a health crisis is tremendously authentic and moving. This calm, measured pragmatism about his diminished role in the world, and the harsh judgement of society, should make all hesitate and reserve estimation of others. I can personally relate to some of his experiences, having received the harsh judgement of the world for my own physical shortcomings. Sadie Sink, Hong Chau and Samantha Morton give stellar performances as various satellites rotating around the protagonist, brimming with love and pity but unable to express it honestly. The desire for said honesty is a primary demand of the film, to be authentic and true. But alas too much honesty will alienate one from the world, as we can find out to our great expense. Do people do terrible things without rationale or justification? Most certainly. Do they perhaps deserve some forgiveness if they are truly contrite and make tangible amends? Most certainly. The Whale is a triumph of cinema.

Simply an extraordinary film. Having seen Aronofsky’s previous works, I anticipated excess in camera work, jarring editing, and self-indulgence but was left stunned at his conscious restraint. There are certainly moments where his particular style shines through - namely in the face-forward, almost testimonial-like character shots - but overall, he’s willingly taken a backseat to his actors and their sole, bleak yet masterfully nuanced backdrop. Brendan Fraser’s portrayal of Charlie is masterful - so complex, so poignant, so powerful. The supporting cast - especially Hong Chau - similarly rise to the occasion. There has been much debate about what message Charlie’s story is supposed to send. Is it hope? Is it redemption? Is it love? Is it pain? Is it desperation? Is it rejection? Is it despondence? Is it a loss of faith in humanity? Is it a criticism of organized religion? The answer is “yes.” It’s all of these things. Aronofsky has chosen to leave the viewer responsible for reconciling the contradictions therein, and in doing so, has created a film worthy of infinite interpretations.

this movie shook me to the core. a true masterpiece by darren aronofsky and quite possibly his finest work to date.

Darren Aronofsky is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, and we are blessed to be able to see his movies. Very few working directors today are as bold and as willing to explore truly stories ripped from the very epicenter of the human soul. What makes him such a great director is because he can achieve the above even when concerning stories or characters that on first glance, some may find absolutely nothing to connect with or identify at all. Such as myself and this movie. Everything that happened, all the characters in it, were so far away from anything I thought I could connect with - but by the end I was absolutely stunned, and left to contemplate the mysteries of life, death, and the universe. A feeling that lingered long, long after the movie was over.

Extremely moving. Genuine tearjerkers are few and far between these days but this movie delivers emotion in spades. I hope writers take away at least one message from this movie that was repeated over and over; write with honesty, not what you want to be true, not what you think others want to hear, but with honesty, and maybe you'll come close to moving an audience the way this movie did.

Depressing to sit through, but very interesting art movie with clear themes that could be talked about for a while.

(Mauro Lanari) Blackmail and manipulative theater pièce, further weighed down by a quintal of prosthetics and even more spiritually sick than "The Fountain" [2006]. Another crap of the couple Aronofsky and A24.

The film tells a very sad story of. The film shows where loneliness, sadness and despair can lead. There are no special effects in the film. The film does not have a big budget. It is shot in only one location. Only the talent of the actor makes the film so special. Branden Fraser played the role of Charlie so perfectly that you might even shed a tear at the end. The film is not simply about the appearance of Charlie (Branden Fraser) but about the relationships with people. . Through this film Branden Fraser has returned to the film industry. I don't think there is anything that should be changed in the film. In my opinion it is the best film of 2022

Pretty great performance by Brendan, the story was very nice and they would not let you forget that our main character is very sick and constantly wheezing (which made even the more light-hearted moments pretty depressing). Some parts and characters could have been cut-off in my opinion since they just waste time from the main issues and character problems. A pretty decent drama.

Movie with few ideas, laid out in a confusing way. Perhaps it wanted to communicate too many things, with too few characters. I don't know. Some points are on the threshold of inciting hatred. Moving moments are there but they are very schoolboyish, so short, leaves nothing in the end. The acting is also very poor; it seems that the main character was constantly waiting for nods of assent from the director.

Brendan Fraser with an amazing performance. I am not one to cry in a movie (like ever) and am generally a stoic over-all but this hit me in the feels pretty hard. Chronically depressed people (at times) kill themselves slowly with drugs and alcohol and this is no different. Aslo looking at a few of the few negative reviews it reminds of how awful some human beings can really be. This movie "The Whale" is one of the best movies I have seen in quite some some. Solid 9/10.

It's the best film of 2023. I love the interpretation of Brendan Fraser, I love the interpretation of Sadie Sink. I feel a deep empathy for Charlie. I felt like he was a friend of mine, a person that I know. I feel pity for him I feel sorry for his condition I can't hate him. He is real, the film is deeply real.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Brendan Fraser deserves a 10, but the movie a 6. The story lacks that, story. Yes, the story is beautiful, but it doesn't go much further, we see the case of a devastated person after a loss and how he tries, through rebuilding his relationship with his daughter, to redeem himself from his mistakes and "heal". But it doesn't go beyond that.

complaining about being fat is like complaining about being rich, with that said 10/10 just because cnn and the evil shadow governmental evil left west is down bot voting this and paying "critics" to down vote it also shows that evil have an agenda against this which makes it easy for me to know where i stand. 10/10 WOOOO!

It was ok, but probably 15-20 min too long. The entire movie is basically on one set so it gets a little tedious watching for 2 hours. Just a long drawn out movie with endless sadness and anger and not much resolution at the end…

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

THE WHALE, written by Samuel D. Hunter based on his play and directed by Darren Aronofsky ("Black Swan"), stars Brendan Fraser ("The Mummy") in his recent Best Actor Oscar-winning role as Charlie, a reclusive online English professor suffering from obesity and congestive heart failure, brought on following the death of his partner. With only days left to live, the main focus of the movie sees Charlie trying to make amends with his estranged, strong-willed teenage daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink). Fraser gives an emotionally riveting performance that carries the film. Also very good in her supporting role as Charlie's friend and caretaker, Liz is actress Hong Chau ("Driveways"). THE WHALE is a great comeback achievement from Brendan Fraser, his Charlie will pull at your heartstrings.

What a tough movie to watch. No wonder Brendan won the Oscar, what a performance. On a deeper note, what's with the relationship with his daughter? As a teacher, he tells his students to tell the truth, be honest; is he?

The Whale was intentionally to be depressing and uncomfortable and for some people who are still complaining about that, they just didn't understand, also if people find Brendan Fraser performance in the film was amazing but the real story was just mediocre and nothing special, i am completely disagree, i mean what else?, it's a perfect problematic family drama story that all make sense, sure you can find that the reason he left his family because of a man is silly but i personally think it's different and i don't mind it at all, also Sadie Sink was really incredible playing this tomboyish jerk daughter and it's completely make sense and it works, Hong Chau was amazing and the rest too, everything is fit and it's added with these phenomenal performance, stunning makeup, great score, overall i found The Whale as a good example **** depressing film, and it's also a great film to study too, it's incredible, and i love it, Brendan Fraser deserve all the awards.

Me surpreendeu muito! Indicação do Brendan Fraser ao Oscar justíssima. O filme aborda como erros não devem ser punidos de forma perpétua. A obesidade mórbida do protagonista é apenas o agravante nesse drama sobre escolhas, consequências e identidade.

The performances here in The Whale are so fantastic that they deserve better material.

Uma atuação muito boa de brendan fraser, e a filha dele tem uma boa atuação tambem e o final é bem emocionante

The Whale was two hours of misery-porn, without a release. Instead of trying to find the humanity in its subject, director Darren Aronofsky is more fascinated with the grotesquerie of the morbidly obese Charlie character (played by Brendan Fraser) - treating him more like a circus freak for the audience to gasp and gawk and repulse at - rather than as a three-dimensional human being. Beating the Herman Melville “Moby ****” metaphors to a pulp that you want to harpoon yourself out of misery, the screenplay is histrionically melodramatic, leaving no room for nuance, and negating any attempt at depth. I know Fraser will never be compared to one of the “greats” (or, for that matter, even the “that-goods”), but he’s always been a likable, reliable presence on screen. Here, he’s committed, and, I surmise, effective as Charlie, but you never really forget that it’s Fraser behind the fat suit and makeup. I’m not sure if the fault is on the actor himself or the overwrought screenplay. Maybe it’s both, but I think his probable Oscar win will be more for the return of a beloved and nostalgic Hollywood nice guy, rather than anything resembling transcendence. (MVP of the film is Oscar nominee Hong Chau, who is excellent as Charlie’s long-suffering friend/nurse/sister of Charlie’s dead lover.) But whether or not Fraser’s performance is award-worthy, it’s a performance that deserves a better movie than this calculating claptrap.

Brendan Fraser deserves the Academy Award for this horrifying at times yet sad performance. Career best!!!

Every minute of the movie gave the telling of the story force, focusing the audience's attention on the characters and dialogue. The characters occasionally seemed strange or unusually acted, but by the conclusion, everything makes sense. There wasn't a single moment that didn't work. With everything that was happening on the screen, filming, colours, and even the ancient screen ratio worked really well. The soundtrack was excellently supported, and the ominous instrumentation was perfect. The story continued adding fresh information at the perfect speed to leave room for the next puzzle piece and emotional trip. While rating the film, I was unable to discover anything I would modify.

In Darren Aronofsky's films, the body becomes the enemy of his protagonists. Just as Nina fights a painful transformation in 'Black Swan' and Robin forces his heart in 'The Wrestler,' Charlie faces death because of his morbid obesity. The choice of portraying this condition is controversial, let alone the decision of using a fat suit for it. But the most baffling thing about it is realizing how regular this movie is despite some stellar performances. Not counting the borderline caricature acting of Sadie Sink as a rebellious and mean teenager, everyone does a good job here. Brendan Fraser gives his best performance yet as a kind-hearted man that desperately tries to make everyone see the good things in life. Hong Chau also shines as a frustrated woman looking to ease her pain by trying to save his friend. And Ty Simpkins and Samantha Morton also have notable interventions throughout the film as a troubled missionary and a defeated mother, respectively. The problem, without a doubt, is the story. Although some passages ring the right notes with emotional and introspective moments, the focus on the morbid is very distracting. Also, the stagey production doesn't work well; the original material suffers from superficiality. Aronofsky and playwright Samuel D. Hunter look so desperately trying to find symbols in everything and giving them to the audience in search of artificially elevating their work. And with that, it falls into Fraser's shoulders the responsibility of shining a light on this very problematic work. 'The Whale' poses a troublesome question: does an extremely obese man deserves to be loved? By making Charlie a man who lives apologizing all the time and converting his eating disorder into a spectacle, Aronofsky and Hunter seem to 'forgive' him of his "sins." Whatever they think they are.

Fantastic performance from Brendan and the rest of the cast. Interesting story and what a job by the makeup department. Also, go read the negative user reviews for this movie, its hilarious.

Darren Aronofsky movie have away to my feel emotional for the movie and his cast. Most of us grew up watching Brendan Fraser from the mummy, George of the jungle of any of his movie . And it really sad about his struggle in Hollywood. With in the time I go to the movies theater I never saw a room where everyone broke down in tear or try to hold back at. I need to know I have done one thing write with my life. And who is going to be excited he going to be in a Martin Scorsese movie

Review: Entertainment: 1/5 Acting: 4/5 Story: 3/5 (depressing if you are a motivated individual) Score/Screenplay/Sound: 3/5 Length: 4/5 Is it worth watching a second time: No Watch it Alone or In a group setting? Alone Keywords: Obese, LTGB, Christianity, Mid-West and South, Depression, Anger P.S. Don't watch it during Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve or NYE

One of the masterpieces of the last few years... with an impressive and completely human story and wonderful acting