occasionally too mannered and at times kind of almost ridiculous, as evidenced by some of the interplay between Ellie and Thomas in particular, but The film's popularity among fans and festivals was primarily because of how well Fraser connected with the character. He spoke about this in an interview with EW, where he said: "Beyond the creative challenges was the material itself,...He's a man living alone, having regrets for choices he's made and choices that life has made for him, and in his profound sadness, which he wears on his body as a manifestation of the trauma that he has endured, which he's been trying to cure with consumption...While his body type differentiates from my own at present, I've had my own fluctuations in body weight, but it was helpful to put the two together to create Charlie from an authentic standpoint and get it as near to him as it was safe for me to do." Samuel D. Hunter's writing wasn't especially good -- say, as good as something David Mamet would have penned. Hunter wasn't very subtle. "Look at the fat guy! Go on and LOOK at him! Isn't he a tragic figure?! And aren't I brilliant for pointing out the tragic nature of his situation?!" of Charlie's domicile, and the making of featurette included on this disc as a supplement details the challenging of keeping things "cinematic" within

It is another entry in the long list of "important" Hollywood films about an awkward social outcast whose personal misery is somehow supposed to be... what? Illuminating? Entertaining? Thought-provoking? At this point, it is beyond tiring to have different variations of the same character rehashed over and over again. The Whale and Otto are about as "original" as the latest Scream and American Pie films.Ultimately, though, the film belongs to Fraser, and my personal hunch is he will indeed prevail at the Academy Awards festivities which are I loved Brendan Fraser's performance in this film. He was really, REALLY effective. The rest of the actors were...well...just good enough. Hong Chau and Sadie Sink turned in good performances, as did Samantha Morton. Ty Simpkins, though, was the least convincing performer. Oh, well. The Whale is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films and A24 with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.33:1. According to the Simpkins), a "door to door" missionary who is perhaps surprisingly (given this film's Idaho locale) not a Mormon, though semi-hilariously A reclusive English teacher suffering from severe obesity attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption.

Kind of interestingly, at least given the downright claustrophobic ambience of the film, the closing credits roll offer a Dolby Atmos logo, though this discThe Whale touches on parental responsibility, sexuality, religious homophobia, and the value of life. Fraser turns in a compelling performance, bringing sincerity, gentleness, and candidness to Charlie. The film is more a character study than a typical narrative, its origins as a play evident in the limited location and dramatic entrances and exits. The screenplay avoids simple soap opera, with well-written dialogue, atypical central character, and first-rate direction.