“The Whale” (*** out of four) was a poignant story about a reclusive and morbidly obese older man (Brendan Fraser) and his realization that he is at the end of his life and he tries to reconnect with his stubborn and estranged teenage daughter (Sadie Sink) before it is too late. Fraser is simply magnificent in the best performance of his career and is equal parts heartbreaking and humorous and is aided by astonishingly real CGI and latex makeup; unfortunately the film lacks a dramatic arc as the story is too thin (no pun intended) and film’s ending is abrupt and corny. A great actors showcase if not exactly a great movie but still well-worth watching overall and in keeping with some of the past themes of alienation and redemption of director Darren Aronofsky’s past work.