Director - Darren Aronofsky

When it seems his condition may be leading to his final days a reclusive, morbidly obese English teacher (Brendan Fraser) tries to reconnect with his teenage daughter (Sadie Sink).

The Whale is a film that may largely be made by what you personally identify with within it. Certainly it’s seemingly proved slightly divisive, and it’s possible to like it for what it is, but there are underlying elements which may be brought out simply from what we unconsciously bring to and find within it. I’ve been fortunate enough to see the film twice so far and both times it’s been one where I’ve wished for just a bit more time to be able to stand and sit and reflect upon everything that it’s packed in to the story of Charlie (Brendan Fraser).

Charlie 600-pound reclusive English teacher - teaching online courses claiming that his camera is broken. Multiple tragedies and regrets in his life have led to excessive overeating and depression - scenes focusing on this come across like something from a horror film - which has become an out-of-hand health risk. He’s warned at the start of the film by nurse friend Liz (Hong Chau) that if he doesn’t get proper medical attention soon he may not live to the end of the week. Yet, instead, we see his week taken up with trying to reconnect with his resentful teenage daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink).

“I’m worried she’s forgotten what an amazing person she is” Charlie tells Liz about his daughter. There’s power in these words and almost anything Charlie says about the child he hasn’t seen since she was eight. While Fraser’s performance as a whole is great when in ‘dad-mode’ he truly peaks and makes for an exceptionally grounded piece of human emotion worthy of all the praise and accolades he’s been receiving.

Yet, there’s no denying Ellie’s anger, there’s an uncomfortable air in a number of scenes featuring her character as you’re unsure where her gestures will lead. A veil of kindness is a cause for worry in terms of relationships, and indeed what it may reveal about the past and a broken-down family unit (Samantha Morton plays her mother, Mary). Sink is perhaps the most undersung key member of the small cast as, especially on a re-watch, you notice the true power and anger of her performance. The projected daggers she throws across.

It all builds towards a truly stunning finale leaving you in breathless awe and thought long after the credits have finished rolling. Months after my first viewing there were still details and elements going around my mind, again that personal element that I may have found within it. However, there’s plenty of brilliantly performed character detail within the gradual developments and reveals of the events and conversations to engage with and find interest in. All creating a very powerful surprise - much like Charlie’s apartment where most of the film takes place - once past the outside glimpses.

Jamie Skinner - Four stars