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THE WHALE
🕑 Added 2022-12-21 03:37:02 +0000 UTCSaw it today. As many know, I struggle with Aronofsky and always have (much to the chagrin of the viewers), so as usual I was intrigued with this one, but also skeptical. But it was better than I thought it would be, for one reason, and one reason only: the acting.
The material is hammy at best, not nearly as honest with itself as it thinks it is, and I think it's misguided as a character study, often placing emphasis on a tired redemptive arc that feels unnecessary and redundant at best. This character and this actor deserved far better. But this is a perfect example of just how much great acting can carry a film. Because as an experience in that sense, it was moving. Though as a piece of work, it's grading.
I grew up in the Brendan Fraser renaissance. George of the Jungle, Bedazzled, The Mummy, you name it. I've seen them all dozens of times. Though I was never exactly a fan of his. Sure, his ability to portray a certain sense of innocence was charming, but comedically he was never really my speed. I longed for actors of bygone eras, even as a kid lol.
Even in his more dramatic work, I never felt like he found his footing. But man...this is the role he was always born to play. This movie owes everything to this central performance and its supporting players. Any honesty or depth lacking in the writing, is here in Fraser's performance. I shed tears for his performance, and not for what he is saying, but how he says it. His gentility and melancholia is so vulnerable here that it borders on too sentimental. And yet it never crosses over.
I often get annoyed lately at this trend of actors competing against a ton of makeup and prosthetics to portray a character. More often than not, it's clear that the makeup people do far more work at creating the authenticity than the actual actors, and rarely receive any of the credit for it publicly. But this is an instance where I felt the actors work was far superior to the prosthetics he wore (all 300 pounds of it), and in fact I think the prosthetics almost worked against him. It never felt realistic to me. But he was so believable that, I could give it a pass.
These smaller pieces with tiny ensembles are a lot harder to stage than they might initially seem. And I'm not sure there's enough here direction-wise to assist the surface-y nature of the material. But I do think it is worth seeing for the performances. Especially Fraser's.
Comments
Wolfman Brandon
For every Punch Drunk Love, there were dozens of Happy Madison productions which are multimillion dollar B-movies in the worst way.
Tom Rufer
Your definition of B-movie actors and time sense is really off, for my taste. These were some of the hottest A-listers you could dream of being as an actor back then. Nothing but trash? Not sure what you call movies like Punch Drunk Love a waste of a performance? I could go on, but I think Deepfocuslens' answer is better than mine.
Deepfocuslens
Absolutely. He had some emotional attachment always to the character that was always so earnest compared to others of his time. But certainly never thought he'd have a moment like this one. Glad for it.
Bennett Oliver
I might see the film this weekend, but I’m glad Fraser’s performance lives up to the hype. You’re right, he’s never done anything to make anyone believe he’s a great actor, and while he has some degree of comedic talent, he doesn’t measure up to the great comedians who headline movies. But I think there’s a throwback quality to him. He’s always been able to convey such innocence and sincerity in his work that’s served as a kind of counterpoint to the irony that coursed through the ‘90s. Where people like Jim Carrey and Bill Murray had a veneer of sarcasm and detachment to their personas, Fraser opened himself up (he often played characters too sweet or stupid to know any better). Even his handsomeness seems retro, which is why he looked comfortable playing characters in the ‘50s or earlier, and why he acclimated well to playing a C-grade Indiana Jones in The Mummy. That movie was more enjoyable than it had any right to be, in large part due to him and the cast. It was junk, but you can tell he (along with Rachel Weisz) was having a blast making it, and that joy carried out to the audience. He didn’t position himself as being above the material, or stand outside it the way that Bill Murray used to in movies like Ghostbusters (and I say this as a fan of Bill). He believed in what he was doing, and that enthusiasm allowed us to enjoy all the FX-laden nonsense that was going on throughout. It’s that sincerity. His career eventually played out in the 2000s, which is really no surprise. He hit his limits as an actor and a persona, and there was nowhere to go but down. But I’m glad he got a showcase role, one that takes him farther than anyone imagined he could go. I doubt he’s going to be able to build off of this and go on to give other great performances in future films, but you never know. Nevertheless, he’ll always have this one, so I’m glad he’s getting praise for it and having his moment.
Deepfocuslens
Yes, both of them are excellent as well.
Stephen
Ok awesome. I've been very mixed about seeing this for varying reasons one of which being the makeup on Fraser being a distraction but I'm happy to hear he overcomes it. Also I've been hearing a lot of great things about Sadie Sink and Hong Chau.
Wolfman Brandon
When they're unknown and just starting out, sure they have to take what they can get but after a few years of major blockbuster financial hits, you'd think they'd be ok with taking something more daring but less profitable since they're an established star now who can afford to be in something that won't be top 10 at the box office. I don't know. I have a hard time processing economics when it comes to art because that's just not how my brain works.
Deepfocuslens
Because careers are born out of working, not choosing. You go where the money is. And not everyone gets to pick their dream roles every go. You get a big bite of something, suddenly you're known for that. It's rarely ever something within an actors control. But if you are smart and lucky and know the right people, you can navigate your way around with experience.
Wolfman Brandon
This seems to be a trend of 1990s-2000s B-movie actors (Adam Sandler, Robert Pattinson, Shia LaBeouf) starring in recent indie films where they're suddenly giving incredible performances. It makes you wonder why they wasted a decade or so being in nothing but trash when they could be doing this more often.
