The Whale

It’s an account of a man committing suicide in slow motion. And, at the same time, it’s a portrait of an eternal optimist who still cherishes hope for humanity. “Do you ever get the feeling that people are incapable of not caring?” asks Charlie (a remarkable Brendan Fraser). But since the chronically obese online English teacher is a shut-in who rarely leaves his sofa, let alone his apartment, his actual first-hand experiences of “people” is limited. Charlie, it becomes clear, is a mess of contradictions.

Fraser is an actor who brings with him considerable audience goodwill and who arguably delivers a career-best performance. And fans of the more spiritual end of Aronofsky’s career spectrum will be gratified to discover that the film is closer in tone to The Fountain than it is to Mother!