Brendan Fraser’s recent performance in the movie The Whale has left critics and fans in awe. His portrayal of the 600-pound reclusive teacher Charlie who is slowly eating himself to death can be considered the actor’s magnum opus.
The movie is an adaptation of a play of the same name by Samuel D. Hunter and under the brilliant direction of the academy award-winning director Darren Aronofsky. But one of the most-discussed features of the movie has been the fat suit that Fraser wears.
Brendan Fraser doesn’t see The Whale costume as a fat suit
At the brink of the award season, Brendon Fraser has sure become a favorite for the award ceremonies and a frontrunner for the Oscars after his brilliant performance in The Whale. But another fascinating thing was the body weight suit that Fraser wears to play the morbidly obese guy in the movie.
But amidst its critical acclaim, the movie garnered its fair share of controversy, with some calling the movie’s premise fatphobic while the director recognizes it as an exercise in empathy and calls the fatphobic comments irrational. Brendan Fraser further expresses this idea by refusing to call the costume a fat suit while explaining its structure as it uses heavy prosthetics and obeys the laws of physics while creating mobility issues for the actor and doesn’t use it for a cheap joke. In an interview with Deadline, he further states,
“as It was cumbersome, with good reason. Because putting an actor in a costume, an apparatus, to emulate weight gain for the character has, in years past, cut the corner on authenticity. It’s normally the silhouette of a costume that’s worn by a fairly athletic actor and it’s in service of a cheap joke or to vilify a character”
Although some people missed the whole point of the movie and are taking irrational shots at it by calling it fatphobic, most critics and fans are mesmerized by the enthralling tale of an obese man who wants to reconnect with his daughter.
The Whale has been held high by critics and fans
Despite the controversy, the movie has garnered significant praise from critics and fans after witnessing the astonishing performance of Brendan Fraser, who plays a 600-pound obese gay man. The film garnered a 6-minute standing ovation during its debut at the Venice film festival and has become a frontrunner for the Oscars this year.
Following the powerful and poignant tale of a man’s struggle of coming to terms with his mortality, Brendan Fraser provides one of the best performances of his career by bringing raw emotion to his role, making him a prime candidate for this year’s Oscar.
Brendan Fraser’s return to the theatres has been met with extreme praise and is now holding a strong grip in theatres despite its limited screening. Fraser has already earned a Golden Globe nomination along with a BAFTA nomination.
The Whale is currently playing in theatres.
Source: Deadline Hollywood
