So the Whale...

[HansonBro]

I only watched it tonight because of the Oscar. Man what a f k'n snooze fest.

Just because he wore a fat suit and sat in a wheelchair, he gets n Oscar? I've given myself a solid hour, and I still can't understand what the plot was supposed to be.

Adding his daughter made no sense to the story at all. Just a snooze fest for an Oscar

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[The Crypto Guy]

Got through 3 minute before shutting it off. Not suprised something like that garbage would win an Oscar though.

 

[zombie kopitar]

I mean I haven't seen it, and I might get some shit for it, but a24 films are usually over the top highbrow to a painful level, without as much substance as they think they have. As someone who just watched 10+ of them recently because I've been stuck in a hotel room with an on demand collection.
Good Time and Low Tide were both very good though

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

I'd call it a good not perfect movie, like a lot of movies based on plays. The ending was amazing imo. I might have given the Oscar to Colin Farrell but either way I'm happy it wasn't another musical biopic performance.

In terms of the role of the daughter Elie, Charlie is refusing to go the hospital as without health insurance it would cost a lot of the 100k+ he's planning to give to her after he dies. On the other hand, I question whether this is redemption or just the easy way out and a way to feel better about himself as he dies, which he probably wanted to anyway (I think "The Whale" his Ahab is trying to kill is really depression, not his eating problem). Living, losing weight and redeeming himself by being a good father to his daughter is harder. The thing Elie probably needs more than money is emotional support and the ONE person who believes in her instead of thinking she's a devil spawn like her mom. Otoh Charlie could also be somewhat naive just brushing off some of the nasty things she did like making the facebook post about him, and telling himself that she was trying to help rather than hurt the religious guy. He gave that kid a little too much credit as well and ended up seeing a nastier homophobic side of him, although by the end totally didn't give up on him.

Overall I think there is a lot of interesting character dynamics (I didn't mention Hong Chau's character who is enabling Charlie, and an angry person), but I credit a lot of it to the play which I'm sure is great, I'm not sure I totally love the mix of Aronofsky's style and the material compared to if someone took a relative low key and stagey approach. He made the film feel dark and claustrophobic which paid off at the end when the light was used for the ending, but I'm not sure how I feel about affecting the whole film just to get a better ending.

 

[End on a Hinote]

I have no idea how the Oscar's (and Emmy's) decide who wins what. It's bizarre the types of winners there have been.

 

[Osprey]

He didn't just wear a fat suit and sit in a wheelchair, IMO. Because of the limited mobility, he had to express a lot with his face, and I could usually tell exactly what his character was feeling just by looking at it. When the subject was himself, he looked guilty and defeated, and when the subject was his daughter, his eyes lit up with pride. He sold Charlie as a complex, vulnerable and sympathetic person despite his many faults. The movie was only so-so for me, but I was impressed by Fraser, more so than the other acting Oscar winners.

 

[x Tame Impala]

I have no idea how the Oscar's (and Emmy's) decide who wins what. It's bizarre the types of winners there have been.

There’s social sympathy towards fat people who can’t get their lives in order…since that’s a huge chunk of the North American populous, so the Whale takes advantage of that message.

It’s so shallow. I loved Brendan Fraser growing up and I’m really happy he won an Oscar but I’m not going to watch a movie about some blubbering fat guy and his broken relationship with that constantly negative and annoying girl from Stranger Things. It’s not intriguing, it’s shallow.

 

[Deen]

Kevin James could probably do a better job imo.

 

[PK Cronin]

Holy oversimplification of a very layered story. It hit on so many levels for me and Fraser was incredible.

If you think it's just a story about Charlie's weight you've missed the point entirely. Addiction, obsession, shame, selfishness, grief, emotional and psychological pain, forgiveness, etc., etc. You could actually replace Charlie's weight with a different addiction or obsession and have a very similar story.

His relationships with the people around him, and not around him, was something I could easily relate to. Maybe if the audience hasn't experience something similar in their own life it's harder to connect with?

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

There’s social sympathy towards fat people who can’t get their lives in order…since that’s a huge chunk of the North American populous, so the Whale takes advantage of that message.

It’s so shallow. I loved Brendan Fraser growing up and I’m really happy he won an Oscar but I’m not going to watch a movie about some blubbering fat guy and his broken relationship with that constantly negative and annoying girl from Stranger Things. It’s not intriguing, it’s shallow.

Yet you haven't actually seen this film you are judging and swearing off

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

There’s social sympathy towards fat people who can’t get their lives in order…since that’s a huge chunk of the North American populous, so the Whale takes advantage of that message.

It’s so shallow. I loved Brendan Fraser growing up and I’m really happy he won an Oscar but I’m not going to watch a movie about some blubbering fat guy and his broken relationship with that constantly negative and annoying girl from Stranger Things. It’s not intriguing, it’s shallow.

I think there was a version of this movie that could've been bad for the reasons you said, as a virtue signal by the creators to show how much they care about the poor fat ppl and blame the rest of society for shaming them, and all the other characters bully caricatures. However I don't think this is it, I think it's aware of Charlie self destructive behaviour and refusal to get help. Ultimately as a play written in 2012 I don't think it really cared about pandering to people's modern day views about representing groups.

 

[PK Cronin]

I think there was a version of this movie that could've been bad for the reasons you said, as a virtue signal by the creators to show how much they care about the poor fat ppl and blame the rest of society for shaming them, and all the other characters bully caricatures. However I don't think this is it, I think it's aware of Charlie self destructive behaviour and refusal to get help. Ultimately as a play written in 2012 I don't think it really cared about pandering to people's modern day views about representing groups.

I definitely agree. His relationship with food, his image, his sexuality, etc. has a ripple effect on on all of his other relationships. Throughout the film we see why he does what he does, why his relationships are the way they are, and how they're all interconnected in a very real way. I didn't leave the theater feeling bad for Charlie, it left me feeling like it was an incredibly authentic and accurate portrayal of life for people who are in a similar situation, which I found to be very relatable.

 

[x Tame Impala]

Yet you haven't actually seen this film you are judging and swearing off

It’s the impression I got from the trailers

 

[flyersnorth]

I thought it was an excellent movie. If the point of art is to make you feel and experience something visceral, then for me, it accomplished that goal.

I love the very limited set and the fact that’s it’s based on a play. The entire movie, I felt like I was in that living room and kitchen with them.

 

[RobBrown4PM]

I wouldn't be surprised if Fraser drew on his his lived experience and trauma when he was acting the role. He got quite the shit take during his initial stint in Hollywood.

 

[beowulf]

I cannot comment directly as I have not seen it yet but everyone I know who has loved it and his performance. To each their own I guess.

 

[HanSolo]

I didn't love the whole product but I thought Fraser was excellent.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

I'm a bit disappointed, albeit not surprised, by a lot of the reactions to this film.

 

[RandV]

I have no intention of seeing it, but just reading this thread if it's based on a play then I'd say it's not going to be pandering or shallow or whatever. These are the kind of uncomfortable topics modern theatre often takes off and tends to be written from personal experience.

 

[DaaaaB's]

Got through 3 minute before shutting it off. Not suprised something like that garbage would win an Oscar though.

It didn't win an Oscar, Brendan Fraser won the Oscar. Pretty sure it got mixed reviews from critics. Not sure why you would even comment on a movie that you watched a whole 3 minutes. You obviously didn't even give it a chance.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

It didn't win an Oscar, Brendan Fraser won the Oscar. Pretty sure it got mixed reviews from critics. Not sure why you would even comment on a movie that you watched a whole 3 minutes. You obviously didn't even give it a chance.

I wasn’t aware there was a rule we had to watch the entirety of something to comment in a thread.

 

[DaaaaB's]

I wasn’t aware there was a rule we had to watch the entirety of something to comment in a thread.

No rule but 3 minutes is just too little. I made it almost 20 minutes into La La Land before I couldn't take it anymore. So if we make a rule I suggest a 15 minute minimum.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

No rule but 3 minutes is just too little. I made it almost 20 minutes into La La Land before I couldn't take it anymore. So if we make a rule I suggest a 15 minute minimum.

Deal

 

[zombie kopitar]

No rule but 3 minutes is just too little. I made it almost 20 minutes into La La Land before I couldn't take it anymore. So if we make a rule I suggest a 15 minute minimum.

la la land is fire real talk. and it should be half way point of a movie imo

 

[HansonBro]

la la land is fire real talk. and it should be half way point of a movie imo

To be fair this movie was the same start to finish. 1/4, 1/2, 3/4... all the same