"The Whale" is undeniably a powerful chamber drama that explores the self-destructive tendencies of a man unable to confront his grief and past mistakes. Although much smaller in scale, I could relate to his feelings of loneliness and emotional emptiness, as I too have turned to binge-eating junk food to fill the void, only to hate myself even more afterward. I just hope there will be a true friend like Liz near me in my last days.
While I enjoyed the film overall, I found the daughter's character to be a bit too one-dimensional and exaggerated, and her relationship with her father developed too quickly and mechanically. On the other hand, I found the way the film dealt with Charlie's relationships with Liz and his ex-wife to be much more complex and touching.
The inclusion of religion as a theme was unexpected, but it felt like it ended up absolving Liz and Charlie of responsibility. I would have preferred if their life choices were solely responsible for their downfall, instead of an external element over which they have limited control.
Nevertheless, “The Whale” still brought me to tears in several instances. It’s more of a crowd-pleaser, but it always stops just a step before exaggerated melodrama. The dynamic and cinematic direction also skillfully compensates for the limited setting and number of characters. For an Aronofsky film, it could almost be called sober, if not for the slightly sentimental ending.
Review by manicure
VIP4BlockedParent2023-05-03T10:25:25Z
"The Whale" is undeniably a powerful chamber drama that explores the self-destructive tendencies of a man unable to confront his grief and past mistakes. Although much smaller in scale, I could relate to his feelings of loneliness and emotional emptiness, as I too have turned to binge-eating junk food to fill the void, only to hate myself even more afterward. I just hope there will be a true friend like Liz near me in my last days.
While I enjoyed the film overall, I found the daughter's character to be a bit too one-dimensional and exaggerated, and her relationship with her father developed too quickly and mechanically. On the other hand, I found the way the film dealt with Charlie's relationships with Liz and his ex-wife to be much more complex and touching.
The inclusion of religion as a theme was unexpected, but it felt like it ended up absolving Liz and Charlie of responsibility. I would have preferred if their life choices were solely responsible for their downfall, instead of an external element over which they have limited control.
Nevertheless, “The Whale” still brought me to tears in several instances. It’s more of a crowd-pleaser, but it always stops just a step before exaggerated melodrama. The dynamic and cinematic direction also skillfully compensates for the limited setting and number of characters. For an Aronofsky film, it could almost be called sober, if not for the slightly sentimental ending.