• About Us
  • Sasha Stone
  • Editor Ryan Adams
  • Clarence Moye
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Awardsdaily - The Oscars, the Films and everything in between.
  • Home
  • Oscar Ballot download
  • Good As Gold
  • AD TV
  • Podcasts
  • Interviews
  • All News
  • Home
  • Oscar Ballot download
  • Good As Gold
  • AD TV
  • Podcasts
  • Interviews
  • All News
No Result
View All Result
Awardsdaily - The Oscars, the Films and everything in between.
No Result
View All Result

Toronto Dispatch – The Whaler Boy

by Zhuo-Ning Su
September 15, 2020
in Film Festival, Reviews, Toronto Film Festival
0

When you’re watching a film about a Chukotkan whlae hunter, you don’t necessarily expect it to open in a seedy cam-girl center in Detroit while Johnny Cash croons in the background. I literally had to check if I accessed the wrong film by mistake. But such is the delicious surprise that awaits you in Russian director Philipp Yuryev’s feature debut THE WHALER BOY, another great find on my journey of discovery at this year’s TIFF.

The film is set in a remote village on the Bering Strait separating Alaska from Chukotka on the easternmost tip of Russia. Teenager Leshka (Vladimir Onokhov), like most men in the village, works at and lives from the sea. Life consists of little else besides hunting, horsing around with his buddy and caring for his grandpa who’s blithely convinced of his own imminent death. Such lifestyle has probably existed for centuries in this isolated part of the world, except for one detail: The men have discovered the wonder of internet and girls who are not shy to show themselves on camera from a faraway place called Detroit. For Leshka the reason for visiting Hollysweet999 online goes beyond the obvious, though. He feels so drawn to the girl that one day he sets off to find her in America.

This is a brilliant premise for a movie and Yuryev delivers on that promise big time. His screenplay is minutely observant, unafraid to explore various themes and truly original. On the one hand, we have the setup for a road movie that’s both silly and exciting. On the other hand, the story wonderfully captures the myth of America as the haven of liberty and harbor for restless souls everywhere looking to escape. All of that is somehow wrapped up in a gorgeous coming-of-age tale that maps the protagonist’s journey in every sense of the word.

Like a beached whale, Leshka is trapped. Stuck in the middle of nowhere, he carries out the same chores in an endless loop out of necessity and duty. What does he see in someone who seems to be living on another planet and always so entirely, uninhibitedly herself? Besides sexual attraction, the script convincingly suggests that it’s freedom, or at least the idea of freedom, that eventually compels Leshka to go on his impossible quest. What happens in the third act, then, including the changes in Leshka’s perspective, comes across as all the more meaningful and moving.

The Chukotkan setting is itself a source of marvel. Being in such a far-flung corner of the world, it has retained landscapes and cultures seldom seen on screen. And Yuryev made sure you notice that. He describes the unique surroundings and way of life portrayed here with acute attention to detail and texture, creating a keen sense of place that’s immediate, transportive. The way he juxtaposes the innocent beauty of Chukotka and the Detroit brand of despair is also very effective. From the first time the camera cuts from the confident, teasing showgirl girl to a group of awkwardly aroused fishermen, humor is part of the narrative. But the comedy is never condescending or sarcastic. It doesn’t make fun of any of its subjects, but uses the heightened contrast to give context to Leshka’s experience as a young man coming into his own.

In the second half of the film, its tone shifts from the lighthearted to the more serious and contemplative, which Yuryev executed surprisingly well. There are elements of adventure that are rendered with harrowing authenticity. And the way Yuryev approaches the metaphorical, even mythical aspects of Leshka’s journey in the final stretch impresses with its light touch. Nothing heavy-handed is in play, I sense only love for the character and a profound understanding of what it means to be free.

First-time actor Onokhov is a stunner. There’s something so unpolished and magnificently unselfconscious about his presence, his movements that makes everything he does highly watchable. Even when he’s just roasting and tasting marshmallows under a rock, you find yourself captivated, indeed mesmerized by the utter truthfulness of his body language. Probably my favorite male performance of the festival so far. The two cinematographers Mikhail Khursevich and Yakov Mironichev are also making their feature debut with this film and their work is equally astounding. By capturing the endless expanse and the untouched ancient appeal of Chukotka in wide angles and naturalistic light, they’ve created visual poetry that will be hard to forget.

It’s weird to cover film festivals remotely. You watch films, think about them and write about them all by yourself. The whole thing can feel like an exercise in self-isolation. But when a film like THE WHALER BOY (or, say, NOMADLAND) comes along, it conjures such a strong sense of connection to our fellow human beings, to people on the other side of the Earth with whom we share the same hopes and struggles, you realize with gratitude that you’re never alone, which may be the most rewarding feeling of all.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • WhatsApp
  • Print
Tags: Toronto Film Festival
Zhuo-Ning Su

Zhuo-Ning Su

Berlin-based freelance festival journalist. Sees too many films for his own good.

Next Post
2020 Emmy ballot

Our Final 72nd Emmy Awards Predictions!

Sign up for Awards Daily's Breaking News

* indicates required

Mank Wins the ASC

Mank, Tenet, Da 5 Bloods win ADG Awards
by Sasha Stone
April 18, 2021
0

Steven Soderbergh, Contagion, and Hope

Steven Soderbergh, Contagion, and Hope
by Sasha Stone
April 18, 2021
0

Sound of Metal, Soul Win Cinema Audio Society Awards

‘Sound of Metal’ Supervising Sound Editor Nicolas Becker On Being a Renaissance Sound Man

SOUND OF METAL Courtesy of Amazon Studios

by Sasha Stone
April 17, 2021
1

Ace Editors Guild Winners

Predicting the ACE Eddies and the ASC Awards
by Sasha Stone
April 17, 2021
128

Chicago 7 Dominates MPSE

Big Splashy Look at Big Oscar Movie The Trial of the Chicago 7
by Sasha Stone
April 17, 2021
5

Oscar-Nominated Editor Alan Baumgarten Discusses the Dramatic Conflict of ‘Chicago 7’

‘Chicago 7’ Sound Team on Taking an Urgent, Modern Approach for the Period Drama

The Trial of the Chicago 7. Jeremy Strong as Jerry Rubin in The Trial of the Chicago 7. Cr. Niko Tavernise/NETFLIX © 2020

by Jordan Walker
April 16, 2021
0

Predictions Friday — Is There Potential for a Split in Best Picture?

Predictions Friday — Is There Potential for a Split in Best Picture?
by Sasha Stone
April 16, 2021
52

Final Ballot! 14th Annual Awards Daily Oscar Project

Final Ballot! 14th Annual Awards Daily Oscar Project
by Ryan Adams
April 18, 2021
10

Predicting the ACE Eddies and the ASC Awards

Contest! ACE Eddie (Editors) and ASC (Cinematographers) Awards Preview
by Sasha Stone
April 16, 2021
2

Consider Uggie Episode 8: ‘The Campaign’ and Peak Uggie

consider uggie

Courtesy of Warner Brothers

by Megan McLachlan
April 16, 2021
0

‘Mare’ Director Craig Zobel on Working with the Great Kate

‘Mare’ Director Craig Zobel on Working with the Great Kate

(Photo: HBO)

by Clarence Moye
April 16, 2021
0

‘Burrow’ Creators Sharafian and Capbarat on the Power of Opening Up

‘Burrow’ Creators Sharafian and Capbarat on the Power of Opening Up
by Ben Morris
April 16, 2021
0

Montclair Film Announces 10th Anniversary Fundraiser with Evelyn & Stephen Colbert

Montclair Film Announces 10th Anniversary Fundraiser with Evelyn & Stephen Colbert
by Clarence Moye
April 16, 2021
0

Join us Facebook

AwardsDaily Crew

  • About Us
  • Sasha Stone
  • Editor Ryan Adams
  • Clarence Moye
  • Contact Us

ADTV Crew

  • ADTV Home
  • Megan McLachlan, Co-Editor
  • Clarence Moye, Co-Editor
  • Jalal Haddad, Senior Contributor
  • Joey Moser, Senior Contributor
  • Shadan Larki
  • Ben Morris
  • David Phillips
  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Advertising on Awards Daily

© 1999-2021 AwardsDaily.com

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Oscar Ballot download
  • Good As Gold
  • AD TV
  • Podcasts
  • Interviews
  • All News

© 1999-2021 AwardsDaily.com