The Whale - drama

An obese man named Charlie once left his family for a lover. On the verge of death, he tries to reconnect with his teenage daughter Ellie, whom he has not seen for several years.

● The film's debut screening at the Venice Film Festival ended with a six-minute standing ovation in honor of the film and starring actor Brendan Fraser. At this point, the cameras were focused on the actor, and tears could be seen on his face. Fans of the actor and film critics unanimously called the film "The Whale" a revival of Fraser's career after a long absence.

● Given the size of his character, Brendan Fraser had to spend hours on end in a special costume during filming. When all this was removed from him at the end of the shooting day, the actor even often experienced dizziness.

● According to director Darren Aronofsky, casting for the film took 10 years. The hardest part was finding someone to play Charlie (who was played by Brendan Fraser), but one day Aronofsky saw the trailer for Eric Eason's Brazilian film Journey to the End of the Night (2006) with Brendan Fraser and realized that the search was over.

● The first digital film of Darren Aronofsky's career.

● Screenwriter Samuel D. Hunter acted as an understudy for Brendan Fraser when the story required him to type some text.

Beloved Brendan Fraser has gone through many trials: in his life there was a broken back, and numerous film failures, and harassment, and a huge number of personal failures that led to a painful divorce, depression and a bunch of debts. But he never stopped acting, stubbornly walked forward, not for a moment lowering his hands. Once in the darkness, Brendan searched and searched for a ray of light in it. And this ray turned out to be Daren Aronoffsky's chamber drama "The Whale", in which Fraser played exactly the same person who found himself at the bottom, but continues to look for the best in life. The film did an incredible thing - resurrected, like a phoenix, an actor who gave a bunch of childhood memories to each of us, whose return everyone was hoping for. Yes, and how he resurrected: such an amazingly performed role instantly made Brendan the main favorite of the Oscar race!

"The Whale" is the story of an obese Charlie, who long ago left his wife and daughter Ellie for a lover, whose death turned Charlie into a recluse, staying at home, moving around with great difficulty, and seizing his grief with junk food. Finding himself on the verge of death, he decides to atone for his daughter and improve relations with her.

Brendan Fraser doesn't play here, he lives! Dissolves into the character, showing just an unprecedented game, which holds the whole film. This heavy role was as if created specifically for Fraser, who plays the kindest person, able to see something beautiful even where no one sees it, awakening good in people who, at first glance, do not have it. Everything in Brendan's game is wonderful: his magnificent facial expressions, genuine emotions and, of course, those eyes filled with tears of happiness, radiating all the most wonderful that is in Charlie. Only Brendan Fraser could make a seemingly pathetic and unpleasant character so charming inside and really bright, you just want to feel sorry for him and let him know that at least he did something right in his life. An amazing performance, for which you can even give an Oscar in absentia!

The supporting actors are also on the level: both the very emotional Hong Chau and the very convincing Sadie Sink - in a word, the entire cast did their best.

It's not just the performances of the film that's good – there's also a delightful story. Each character is well-written and in the course of the film appears in a new light, there is not a single extra scene, not a single unnecessary dialogue. "Kit" is a real emotional meat grinder, on which I, not the most impressionable person, had such a lump in my throat that it was difficult to breathe. There are also rare funny moments that dilute the oppressive and heavy tone of the film. The climax is simply gorgeous, and the ending is able to remain in memory for a long time. This is a very touching story, taking place entirely in one location, but not for a moment letting you get bored, thanks to excellent dialogues and a bunch of strong moments.

"The Whale" is a moving film that can melt the heart of even the most callous viewer and make you think about many things: about whether people deserve a chance for redemption, about honesty, about religion, about the fact that there are no bad people in our world. , not good ones, that even behind the most seemingly terrible person there is something good, just not everyone is able to see it.

I just want to say thank you to Darren Aronoffsky for bringing Brendan Fraser back to us, who is now back on horseback. Looking forward to the Oscars!