By bringing to the screen the play by Samuel D. Hunter entitled The Whale, Darren Aronofsky has brilliantly taken up his transposition bet. Award rumors are already swirling around Brendan Fraser’s poignant performance, but the actor prefers to take things one day at a time…
Posted at 8:00 a.m.
So far, the competition is proving to be really good and no one could guess what will guide the jury chaired by Julianne Moore to establish the winners next Saturday. But the fact is that on a simple epidermal level, no candidate for the Golden Lion has aroused as much emotion as The Whale. A regular at the Mostra, winner of the Golden Lion in 2008 thanks to The Wrestler, Darren Aronofsky could well repeat the feat this year. His new film is a great success.
In addition to the performances of the actors, including that, exceptional, of Brendan Fraser (“Give him the Oscar right away!”, Could we read on social networks), the feat lies above all in this way that had Aronofsky, supported by his lifelong accomplice Matthew Libatique in the cinematographic direction, to make a cinematographic object of an eminently theatrical piece at the start. Although the theatrical origin remains evident in the dramatic construction of the script, and although there is only one setting, The Whale is a real cinema proposal.
A square screen
First there is the frame. Square. As if to delimit the restricted space in which the protagonist must evolve, without even being able to leave his home. This frame also evokes the feeling of suffocation that must be felt by a man suffering from morbid obesity, whose mobility is reduced, prisoner of an overly heavy body.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ENTRACT FILMS
Brendan Fraser is the headliner of The Whalea film by Darren Aronofsky.
English teacher and literature buff (one of his favorite stories is Moby-Dick, to which the title of the film refers), Charlie (Fraser) gives his lessons virtually to students who never see him. In his life, only four people are part of his entourage: his best friend, nurse and also caregiver (Hong Chau), a young visiting evangelist (Ty Simpkins), his ex-wife (Samantha Morton) and, above all, Ellie, his 17-year-old daughter (Sadie Sink), whom he has not seen for several years. The latter has resumed contact to essentially settle accounts.
The last act of the film, during which the story reaches an unusual power of emotion, takes place in the presence of Charlie and Ellie. At the screening for the press, there were no dry eyes at the exit…
During a press conference held on Sunday, Darren Aronofsky explained that he wanted to wear The Whale on screen while reading a review of the play, published in the New York Times. “However, I had to wait 10 years before realizing the project. Mainly because it was difficult to find the actor who could play Charlie. I thought of everyone, actors of all types, big stars, but the spark never happened. Then, a few years ago, I came across a trailer for an indie Brazilian movie that Brendan was starring in and it kinda lit up right away. I arranged a reading between Brendan and Sadie and the chills set in as soon as these two started playing together. »
PHOTO MARCO BERTORELLO, FRANCE-PRESSE AGENCY
Sadie Sink on the red carpet of The Whalesunday
The filmmaker also indicates that in this time of cynicism, Charlie’s vision of the world, imbued with hope and love, becomes essential.
“This is the most important message to deliver in today’s world,” adds the filmmaker. Everyone is becoming cynical and giving up hope. This is exactly what we don’t need right now. Rather, we must tell ourselves that after all, we need to take care of each other. »
Living in the moment
Brendan Fraser, whose speeches were applauded several times during the press conference, does not make any career plan for what this role could bring him in terms of recognition.
“I saw it as a great opportunity to slip into another man’s body physique and the inner story he carries with him. I don’t know of any actor among my peers who wouldn’t want to work with Darren. »
As for the rumors of awards that are already beginning to circulate around him, the actor, who was a big Hollywood star at the time of The Mummy and of George of the Junglewants to put things in perspective.
“My crystal ball isn’t working and I want to live in the moment. My ambition is to play as many characters as possible. Above all, I can’t wait to see if this film will leave as strong an impression on people as it did on me. »