THE WHALE

US, 2022, 117 minutes, Colour.

Brendan Fraser, Hong Chou, Sadie Sink, Ty Simpkins, Samantha Morton.

Directed by Darren Aronofski.

The most famous whale in literature is Moby Dick. And, in this portrait of Charlie, an enormously overweight English professor, there are many references to Moby Dick and Captain Ahab’s quest, but also to Ishmael, the chronicler of the events, and his personal life and relationships.

This is a star vehicle for Brendan Fraser, very popular in the 90s with action adventures in comedies, especially the Mummy franchise. Not so much in the public eye since then, but here is a great possibility for a comeback, screenings at festivals, awards, career hope.

And, Fraser, wearing a fat suit of 300 pounds, trained by a choreographer how to move given this physiological condition, but mostly sitting in his chair, brings humanity to his very complex character.

The film is based on a play by Samuel D. Hunter who has written the screenplay. In fact, at some stages, we feel that it is very much stagebound, all the action taking place within Charlie’s home, several rooms and corridor, venturing out on to the balcony for a couple of scenes, some flashbacks, brief, to beaches. And, some of the performances resemble stage performances, especially characters going to doors, Charlie addressing them, and their pausing rather lengthily at the door before turning.

Like his students in the online writing course, we, the audience, do not immediately see Charlie. We hear him speak, looking at the Zoom screen, where his panel is dark, he claiming his computer camera is not working. But, we hear him enthusiastic about writing, emphasising honesty, encouraging. And, as we expect, in his final session with his students, advocating honesty in their expressions of themselves, he turns on the camera.

But, we have been able to see him all the time, surprised at his girth and shape, wondering about his obesity, noting his diet and his wolfing down food, sometimes choking, often wheezing. He is obviously not well. And, this is confirmed when his nurse visits. Hong Chou plays Liz, a strong and striking Oscar-nominated performance, no-nonsense, tough but compassionate, concerned about Charlie and his blood pressure, choking experiences, and his refusal to go to hospital. Gradually, we learn more of Charlie’s background, his marriage to Mary, their daughter, Ellie, his infatuation with an older student, leaving family for him, then the sadness of his death.

Charlie is visited by one of those door-knocking missionaries, Tom, Ty Simpkins, whom Charlie and Liz find intrusive (as do we) aggravating in their honesty. But, after being kicked out, he keeps on returning, words of God, pamphlets, wanting to save Charlie. At the end, Charlie asked whether anybody can save anyone else – although, he does say that everybody has a capacity for caring.

Charlie is also visited by his aggressively angry daughter, Sadie Sink, mixed motives for visiting him, wanting to make contact but saying she didn’t, he doing a bargain with her to write her essays and giving her his accumulated salary. Depending on how well audiences identify with Ellie, this is a strong performance or else years extraordinarily irritating. And, later, there is a visit from Mary, a powerful cameo from Samantha Morton (remembering her recent excellent cameo in She Said).

The structure of the storytelling is noting the action through Monday to Friday.

We get to know and understand Charlie, we understand and appreciate Liz, Tom has something of an epiphany, Mary affects moments of reconciliation, and Ellie has the last word as the audience watches the ending of the film with great sadness.

Directed by Darren Aronofski who has a wide quit walking range of films over several decades, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler, Black Swan, Noah.

1. The title? Charlie has a whale, the references to Moby Dick, Ellie’s essay on Moby Dick?
2. The film based on a play, the confined setting, Charlie’s house, rooms, corridor? The scenes on the balcony? The flashbacks to the beach? The chamber music style of the score?
3. The setting, the class online, the zoom screen, the range of students, the instructor black? Charlie speaking, advice, exhortations, interactions with the students? Their essays? The end of the week, Charlie and conscious of death, urging honesty in expression, demanding it, turning on the screen, the students’ reactions, and his throwing the computer at the wall?
4. The structure of the film, Monday to Friday, each separate day? Similarities of the days, differences?
5. The portrait of Charlie, his age, background, his marrying Mary but never explaining what the crisis in his life was at the time, the birth of Ellie? His love of literature, work as a professor, the encounter with Alan, in love, leaving the family, living with Alan, Alan and his religious background, missionary experience, the pressures from his father leading the religious group, his father abandoning him? His relationship with Liz? The sadness of his death, drowning, washed ashore? The effect on Charlie?
6. The screenplay proposing that Charlie was so affected by Alan’s death, letting himself go, putting on such weight, confining himself to the house, overeating, the wrong diet, the effect? His depression and grief, still not over it? His memories?
7. Liz, nurse, friendship with Charlie, the regular visits, no-nonsense, concerned about his blood pressure, yet bringing him the food, his wheezing, choking experiences? Her story about the New Life Church, adopted, her father, the pressure on her to go to church, and giving it up, her relationship with her brother, the bond between them, his death? The bond with Charlie? Her reaction to Tom, critical, attacking religion? Her reaction to Ellie’s visits?
8. Tom, knocking at the door, doorknocking missionary, the encounter with Charlie, Charlie choking, Charlie asking him to read the essay aloud, Tom feeling helpless, his phone, wanting to ring an ambulance, Charlie refusing? Liz’s arrival, helping? Tom departing? His age, seeming diffidence, missionary zeal? His link with Liz and the New Life Church, his explanations of his motives, her attacking him? His return, the pamphlets, conversations with Charlie? His encounter with Ellie, her taunting him, his curiosity, the drugs, his revealing his story to her, the drugs, the family, stealing the money, coming from Iowa to Idaho, posing as a missionary, his motivation? Smoking, Ellie filming and taping everything including his confession? The irony of her sending it to his family? Her motivation? Attacking him, saving him? Charlie’s interpretation? Tom’s return, being forgiven by his family, hope?
9. Ellie, her age, Charlie leaving when she was eight, difficult with her mother, Charlie and child support, phone calls to Mary, no information from her? Ellie turning up, aggressive attitude, surly, outbursts of anger, looking for a father figure? The issue of education, college, the essays, wanting Charlie to write them? His wanting her to write? Her notebook and the haiku, anger? Hating everyone? His promising to give her his accumulated money? Her attitude towards her mother? The various visits, sitting in the chair, conversations, Charlie getting her to read the essay on Moby Dick? His praising the essay Is the Best? Her behaviour towards Tom, leading him on, his confession, the drugs, her taping and photographing? Sending the material to his family?
10. Mary, her visit, bitter, drinking, the past, difficulties in bringing up Ellie, child support, her outbursts, yet some tenderness towards Charlie, changes of moods, some reconciliation, some concern?
11. The pizza man, calling in, the money outside, delivering the pizza – and wanting to exchange names, Charlie going outside, glimpsed by Dan?
12. Charlie’s deteriorating health, at his desk, the computer, gulping the bad diet, the sweets in the drawer, choking and wheezing?
13. Charlie, his approaching death, Liz and her support, Ellie, the image of memories of the past, the beach, a kind of Ascension into an afterlife? Ellie and her final word, dad?
14. Humanistic themes of care for others, betrayals, love and disappointments? Religion, formal, God language, saving language? Intolerant leaders? The impact for the audience of the conversations about God, religion, the Bible, sin, forgiveness?