Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Geoffrey Macnab

The Whale review, Venice Film Festival: Brendan Fraser comeback is grossly manipulative to an effective degree

A24

Dir: Darren Aronofsky; Starring: Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Samantha Morton

First seen masturbating as he watches online porn, Charlie (Brendan Fraser), the main character in The Whale, isn’t just morbidly obese; he is a lumbering leviathan of a man, so immensely fat that he can barely manoeuvre himself off his couch, let alone leave his apartment. He sweats profusely, vomits into dustbins and almost chokes on the junk food he gorges himself on. “Who would want me to be part of their life?” he asks plaintively toward the end of the film. Even his daughter calls him disgusting.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.