I've been there. My abusive grandmother was morbidly obese, diabetes, CHF, pulmonary hypertension, limited mobility due to cartilage loss in her knees. She was often on oxygen. I (and later Grandpa when she remarried) were burdened with all the chores. I felt like I was living two lives - mine and hers. Grandpa and I were both Oscar nominee Hong Chau's character, whereas I was also Sadie Sink's character. And who could blame any of us for lashing out? Sink curses out Brendan Fraser more than I ever got the chance. (I was somewhat afraid I'd be punished for cursing.)

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the title The Whale not only refers to the morbidly obese, on-his-deathbed Fraser, but also alludes to Herman Melville's classic Moby-Dick - the epic sea story about Ahab and the White Whale. Turns out, Fraser's Charlie is an English Lit teacher who's too ashamed of his appearance to reveal himself to his class on Zoom.

If his relationship with his nurse (Chau) is testy, his relationship with his estranged daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink) is utterly volcanic. Charlie abandoned the family when Ellie was 8, but now he wants to reconnect and reconcile before it's too late.

The writing is solid (Samuel D. Hunter, adapting his stage play). Darren Aronofsky is a brilliant director. (We almost got Tom Ford.) The cinematography (Matthew Libatique) is beautiful.

But perhaps more importantly, The Whale is an acting masterclass. Fraser, Sink and Chau are all brilliant. Ty Simpkins turns in an irable performance as a New Life religious missionary, or a "cult," as Ellie eloquently puts it. (Is it a rule that every Sadie Sink movie must have a cult in it?) Fraser rightfully won Best Actor at the Oscars in 2023. (We nearly got James Corden or George Clooney.) The film also won Best Makeup and Hairstyling - which thankfully and rightfully included the fat-suit prosthetics.

Fraser transforms into Charlie. He's not just George of the Jungle in a fat suit. ("George too big for vine.") This is called acting, folks.

The score by Rob Simonsen is incredible. Tense, moving. There's not a lot of music in the movie, but when it hits, it hits.

The sound design and audio fidelity (DTS-HD Master Audio) are top-shelf. (Dolby Atmos is mentioned in the closing credits, interestingly enough.) The picture is beautifully rendered.

A24 hits another home run with this one. The Whale is a masterpiece, a must-see.