I am not okay after watching The Whale.

Submitted by scrapperdude t3_11e02g8 in movies

Spoiler discussion.

Firstly, incredible performance by Brendan and he truly deserves all the praise he’s received. The daughter was a lot to handle but I feel the role was executed well.

I was an emotional wreck throughout the last act of the film. They made this movie very hard to watch in several aspects but it allowed for such a pure view of our characters, and used their connections with each other effectively. A lot of arcs came full circle in some creative ways.

I love that this movie came with some heavy handed metaphors but was self-aware of that, and sprinkled in more subtle ones throughout the movie. My personal favorite was the end on the beach… Mom’s off in the corner being mad that Charlie wants to swim, Ellie is getting by on her own, and Charlie steps into a moment of freedom.

I’d love to hear what kind of analysis and takes people have for this one.

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Comments

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mongotron t1_jac19tw wrote

This seems to be a movie you either love or hate - I was looking forward to it for a long time but I didn’t enjoy it.

Fraser’s performance was excellent but he was surrounded by unsympathetic, unempathetic, unlikeable characters whose presence cause everyone around them pain. And I know that’s the point to a certain degree - I think the movie is trying to show how terrible circumstances can cause people to do terrible things - but it’s a tough watch and ultimately I was glad when it ended.

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MidichlorianAddict t1_jad8bpv wrote

I never thought that a good character had to be likable, just a person who changes on a journey.

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scrapperdude OP t1_jadjd4q wrote

Too add to that, I think it was a display of how his actions/inactions affected those around him, even though he thought his isolation would be better for them. It’s part of his atonement.

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kaZZlimaXX t1_jacja6z wrote

The scenes where he ate like a monster scared me. It was great acting from Fraser.

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SeekingAugustine t1_jaduzp2 wrote

If you haven't watched Arronofsky's (director) other films, you really should. One of the best storytellers in the industry today.

I haven't seen The Whale yet (or Mother), but Requiem for A Dream is one of the most emotionally devastating movies I have ever seen.

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IAmDanksy t1_jaeew9g wrote

Feeling emotions from a movie IS A GOOD THING. People need to look into themselves instead of getting upset from something they are watching.

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