Rosario Monachino
A film critic has warned ‘fat people’ not to watch the latest Brendan Fraser film, The Whale.
Katie Rife, who writes for Rolling Stone, Vulture, EW, and Indiewire, shared her review in a thread on Twitter, in which she expressed that ‘no actual fat people were involved in the production’.
She adds (warning her comments contain spoilers): “I can’t recommend in good conscience that fat people watch The Whale. I can’t recommend that skinny people watch it either, since it reinforces the notion that fat people are objects of pity who have brought their suffering upon themselves through lack of coping skills.”
Watch fans chant for the cast of The Whale at Venice Film Festival below…
Rife continues: “Massive red flags for EDs [Eating Disorder] and fat phobia; the main character endures over an hour of the cruellest verbal abuse imaginable, and later tries to commit suicide by food.
“I have dealt with bulimia and binge eating disorder on and off for years, and found it incredibly triggering.
“You can tell that no actually fat people were involved in the production because of a major plot point where the protagonist is dying, but refuses to go to the hospital even though he has money to pay the bills.
Related Article: Brendan Fraser Is ‘Unrecognisable’ As 600Ib Recluse In The Whale
“The movie treats this as a combination of selflessness and suicidality, never considering the very obvious reason why a 650lb person would avoid doctors: IT’S CALLED MEDICAL FATPHOBIA YOU ABSOLUTE P****.
“I’m really feeling like s*** after that viewing experience. There’s a scene where the main character drops a key and can’t pick it up, and PEOPLE WERE LAUGHING.”
She does, however, acknowledge that Fraser’s performance is really good and that the ‘humanity/sensitivity/sympathy in the movie comes from his performance’.
Replying to her thread, people engaged with Rife whether they agreed with her or not.
One person replied: “I’ve seen mostly positive reviews, but this is what I was waiting for/expecting. Everything about this movie sounds like a huge red flag, so it sucks that all the fears I had about the movie turned out to be true.”
Some people, on the other hand, could understand where she was coming from but disagreed, with one user writing: “Hey ya know, I feel you, but it’s okay and even good that a film makes you feel this amount of disgust. Cinema can and will be horrible and make you feel like s***, and that’s totally okay. I’ll watch it and determine my own opinion. I’ll give everything a chance.”
His performance as a 650lb man trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter has already garnered a lot of praise, with some saying he is the front-runner for an Academy Award.
Related Article: Brendan Fraser Claims He Was ‘Blacklisted From Hollywood’
The actor recently won the Tribute Award for his role at Toronto’s International Film Festival.
The Whale, which is directed by Darren Aronofsky, was premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it was met with a six-minute standing ovation, that brought Fraser to tears.
Fans of the actor are dubbing his career comeback the ‘Brenaissance’.
He is set to star in the upcoming Martin Scorcese movie Killers of the Flower Moon, which will see him star alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.
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