The Whale Broke Me (Not In a Good Way) | Movie Review

Brendan Fraser gives the performance of his career as a 600 pound man trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter. A24's The Whale is the latest from cult favorite filmmaker Darren Aronofsky and one of my most anticipated films of the fall. Well, I saw The Whale... and it broke me (not in a good way). Here's my video review. Have you seen The Whale? Let me know in the comments below!

Written, Narrated & Edited by J.S. Lewis

#TheWhale #BrendanFraser #DarrenAronofsky
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MUSIC CREDITS:

♪ “Hopeless" - Jimena Contreras
♪ “Walk Through the Park" - TrackTribe
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COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER:

Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

[cineflect]

Have you seen THE WHALE? Let me know what you thought of the film!

[LarryXLR]

I hate how people see the film as fat phobia.
It's not about finding Charlie disgusting. It's about finding sympathy for what he has physically become and finding the drive to cheer for his last shot at redemption.

[jevinday]

I am going to sound really judgemental saying this, but I feel like a lot of people who don't connect with Charlie haven't been through similar things. I have dealt with addiction for over a decade. Feeling so shitty that you can't even bend over to pick up a key you dropped, that's straight up body horror. You have people that enable you and then use it as ammo. To me, Aronofsky's films are about humanization.

[basswars]

Brendan Fraser is a champion. He has struggled with a ruined back for years and he knows what it means to suffer. My mother and I had the great privilege to meet him at Fan Expo in Toronto. He was a true gentleman. He listened to my mother's story about her own back surgery and problems. He was extremely kind and sympathetic. He gave her a big hug, held her hands, and thanked her for coming to see him. Brendan Fraser is the greatest ambassador that Canada has ever had.

[ktoth]

I had a professor who was morbidly obese and obviously only teaching for health benefits... he would break down in tears in class because he couldn't physically get through it. It was sad to watch.

[Bootmahoy]

I respectfully disagree with you. This was a deeply moving experience for me. I know addiction, although mine is not an eating disorder, I could relate four-by-four to his frustration, and especially with his Hurculean ability to see past his self-pity and self-loathing to accomplish something truly beautiful. That is a major triumph. Just thinking about it makes me tear up.

[evonekky]

I saw it in the theater and it broke me. I have been crying for two days. I have binge eating disorder and the way he portrayed binge eating literally made me gasp and sob in the theater. I also am a nurse and have worked with so many patients who we just can't save from themselves. As much as I will tell everyone this is an outstanding and beautiful film, it was also gut wrenching to watch and still has me feeling upset.

[tejashdasgupta]

As a person who is overweight myself i can tell you this. No fat person will be offended by Fraser's portrayal as his weight is not what defines him in the film. He is a complicated character. His weight is seen as the embodiment of his self loathing and his desire to die rather than something like, " ew, this fat person is so gross".
Edit: why the fuck are there rightoids in the comments railing against an imaginary strawmen of the left.
Edit: holy shit, this post is still getting likes and comments.

[jtnachos]

The truth is, in this story, people aren't disgusted by the character's body, but by the attitude he has developed, by his depression. The movie's intent isn't 'fat is disgusting, look at this pig', it's 'look at how this person's issues destroyed his body and mind, and left him struggling to crawl back out of that hole'.

[julianauston]

Hey man, I’m morbidly obese and I loved this movie. Like a lot. I cried in theaters and I don’t cry at movies. It’s also not fat phobic, it’s fucking accurate.

[jfr]

Anybody who thinks his performance is meant to make people think ‘fat people are disgusting’ just doesn’t get it. His character is so intelligent, well-spoken, and kind. Imo the audience is meant to feel for him, not make fun of him or think he’s disgusting. It’s meant to highlight the ‘tragedy’ of somebody so capable, kind and well-spoken falling prey to an addiction to the extent that it ruins their life.

[themetatruthengineer]

I saw The Whale in theaters. I thought, as a parent myself whose experienced trauma, that this movie was brilliant and a true piece of art. If you have experienced trauma, been shunned by society, have in any way experienced anything that was shown in The Whale...this really got to you. This was beautiful and wonderful. I would have given it a 5 out of 5.

[foxless]

This movie reminded me of my father. How he left and went through this downward spiral of addiction too alcohol and food. His gluttony. It tied to me aswell with past weight struggles. Charlie even shared my father eyes, the same tired blue with red obscuring the white. It was honestly too much for me. It was good but it destroyed me so much I feel like I enjoyed it less. It just hit to close to home

[Djlines]

Never left a cinema so drained like I was after this movie. It was just incredible.

[gonzacollao]

Brendan Fraser absolutely deserves this comeback and the love he has received from fans all around the world, and even more. I can’t express how happy I am to see him back in movies, he was a huge part of my childhood

[jasminedragon]

This movie was powerful for me as an addict. Brendan’s face when he ate the candy was so accurate. Especially if you get to a point where you know it’s killing you but you can’t stop.

[simply.classic]

I'm not a cinema person, not at all, but as someone who struggles with binge eating disorder, and someone who has watched someone die at its hands. The feelings that Charlie struggles with and watching these extremely intense feelings be played out is extremely cathartic. This movie left me shaking and sobbing. I think its a tragic portray that unless you have experienced addiction, or and eating disorder first hand this movie may not hit home. This movie for me was more about Humanizing the fat experience.

[AnotherGenericUsername]

I know nothing about binge eating but I'm very familiar with hurting yourself while having faith in others. That's what broke me about the film. Everyone is seeing in through superficial eyes and not seeing the bigger picture. I believe Hong Chau definitely deserves recognition, she was absolutely amazing

[ohdamnman]

There is absolutely no way you could possibly show addiction and all of its truth without it becoming grotesque. This is a situation when you are in the center of an addiction where one is actually in hell any person who's gone through addiction or seen someone go through it or has family members gone through it and it had that experience will tell you it is actual hell and it is grotesque.

[JoeBloww]

I deliver for doordash and have attended food addiction support groups so I know people like Charlie. This movie told a story that I’ve personally never seen told before in a way that had me engaged the entire movie. The movie really tries hard to make you cry and for me it succeeded. I’ve never cried harder watching a movie.