Brendan Fraser won an Oscar playing Charlie in The Whale, a film about a recluse writing lecturer. An earlier controversy was that a larger actor should have played the lead character. Still, Brendan Fraser’s performance is outstanding, and he makes the character of Charlie his own, rightly deserving of the Oscar.
The Whale, written by Samuel D. Hunter, explores the journey of a hermit, an English teacher who works remotely via his laptop. His camera is always off, and his students have yet to learn of the appearance of their lecturer.
Charlie (Brendan Fraser) is obese and morbidly so, but it is self-inflicted. Charlie is housebound and has been for many years following the death of his partner, Allen.
Charlie’s estranged daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink), starts visiting Charlie, but her intentions are very sinister. She is failing school and needs someone to do her schoolwork for her.
The story explores the complexities of a broken man. A person who chose to live his authentic life as a gay man but fractured his life with his wife and daughter, and the consequences and reconciliation play out on the screen.
Another aspect of the story is heartbreak and how everyone handles it differently. Charlie was in a loving relationship with his partner, Allen, and following some tragic circumstances, Allen passed. Charlie has given up on the life he once had and refused to deal with the festering emotions.
Directed by Darren Aronofsky, The Whale will take you on an emotional, raw journey that makes you question mortality and how you would handle life after someone close to you dies. It is a very confronting movie that addresses some weighty topics.
Brendan Fraser as Charlie knocks it out of the park. His performance is breathtaking and will leave you in tears. The raw emotions of this performance are bubbling at the surface. Fraser’s performance humanizes the traumas of unresolved grief and illustrates how it can manifest in other areas. This is truly a fantastic performance that rightly deserved the Oscar this year.
Hong Chau is Liz, Charlie’s long-suffering friend who continually supports him through his ups and downs in life. Chau’s performance is genuine; you can feel her love for Charlie. Something about this character will remind you of resourceful and strong people in your life.
The Whale is an intriguing story about the complexities of relationships and how some are positive, and some are negative.
The Whale is heartbreaking, and seeing someone as gentle as Charlie stumble through life and give up on the world around them is so sad. Unfortunately, this theme is very relatable, as we all will have to deal with grief in one way or another.
This award season, The Whale was nominated for several outstanding performances, and rightly so; both Brendan Fraser and Hong Chau deserved the accolades.
The Whale is currently screening at local cinemas and can be purchased online.
