The Whale

           Charlie is an obese shut-in who makes his living teaching an on-line college writing course.  He keeps his camera off so his students can't see his 600-pound frame. He is divorced and hasn't seen his teenage daughter played by Sadie Sink, in years. His male partner, Allan has passed and his only connection to the outside world is Allan's sister Liz, a nurse played by Hong Chau.

        The story is an emotional powder keg, filled with regret, guilt, longing, and compassion. Mr. Fraser is astonishing, conveying a wide range of emotions, while navigating the 300 pounds of prosthetics that keep him immobile for most of the film. Ms. Sink, fresh off the hit show "Stranger Things", plays a 17-year-old teenager filled with anger and rage at the father who abandoned her years ago.  She is a dynamo in the role.  The film also co-stars Ty Simpkins as a door-to door missionary taken with Charlie's situation and Samantha Morton in one powerful sequence as Charlie's ex-wife.

         This is a compelling drama that held my attention throughout. Mr. Fraser will certainly get an Academy Award nomination. And Hong Chau (so good in the "The Menu") may also end up with a best supporting nomination.  She grounds the film with her tough love and compassion for Charlie.