Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Written by: Samuel D. Hunter
Written by: Samuel D. Hunter
Starring: Brendan Fraser
The Whale is the most potent experience I've had in a long time. It's about a depressed, morbidly obese man desperately trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter. One of the brutal things about the film is how it sustains the emotion of despair. The state where you've given up on life, but don't have the courage to kill yourself either. So you just let things be - and life and death doesn't make much difference and as much as a sparrow's chirp can change your decision. The film sustaining this emotion felt like having to make a choice to life almost every day. And despite everything he faces, what's inspiring about Charlie is his undying belief in people and their ability to care. The film also talks about honesty and hypocrisy in a rich way full of layers.
This film shows what a good script and a director at the top of his game can do. This script is so solid, it has twists and turns, some terrific set ups and pay offs and every dialogue in the film meant something. Darren's already unflinchingly honest take to tell stories adds a lot to this story. It's brutal where it's brutal. In the scene where Charlie binge eats, it almost feels like a horror film. But the way the film leaves Charlie in a state of being out of despair, the way it eventually hits us with layer after layer in the ending - I could think of no other example but a crescendo in an orchestra. The Whale is a beautiful exploration of depression, despair, hope and humanity - and it makes you feel grateful and inspired.
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