OPINION: MOVIE REVIEW: ‘The Whale’: A story grounded in truth
By Andre Solis
Bridge Staff Writer
Published Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024
The Whale follows the life of a college English teacher as he attempts to reconcile with his estranged daughter.
Charlie, played by Brendan Fraser, abandoned his daughter, Ellie, played by Sadie Sink at a young age. Now, he’s trying to reconnect with his angsty and rebellious daughter.
Bridge Staff Writer
This film comes from production company A24 and director Darren Aronofsky. Filmed in a clustered apartment, Aronofsky’s use of space is clever and intentful. The camera focuses on the couch where Charlie spends most of his time due to his atrophying physical state, mirroring his unwavering beliefs about the human condition and his struggle and inability to change for the better or accept help.
Compared to actors Fraser and Hong Chau, who portrays Charlie’s friend Liz, two actors stood out to me in different ways. Sink, being a newer actor, displays a different acting style common among younger actors. Her blocking, facial expressions and line deliveries make up for the angsty, cell phone-obsessed teen caricature oversaturated in contemporary movies. Samantha Morton, who portrays Charlie’s ex-wife Mary, seems to rush her lines. Her blocking is rigid, like she forgot where to go. Her character is meant to be angry and an alcoholic. I didn’t get that from her.
While the score was on theme with deep, melancholic string and breath instruments mimicking the calls of a whale, it wasn’t as impactful for me compared to Black Swan, another Arofnosky film, or Midsommar, another A24 film. Though, I suppose those two are distinctly score-led movies.
A story about grief, religious trauma and queer love, The Whale beautifully captures the complexities of life and human nature while delivering a message about the importance of maintaining hope, empathy and optimism through bleak and morbid times.
