Review by James Lindorf
“The Cove” and “Blackfish” are two of the best and most impactful documentaries ever to be produced. For its first 15 minutes, “The Walrus and the Whistleblower” seemed poised to join that group. The film follows Phil Demers, a former animal trainer at MarineLand amusement park in Ontario, Canada, who developed an unbreakable bond with Smooshi the walrus and his 10-year fight to save her. “The Walrus and the Whistleblower” is currently available on VOD platforms.
The first 15-20 minutes of “The Walrus and the Whistleblower” is a Sarah McLachlan song away from leaving me a weeping mess. The trainers’ emotions and the visuals of the animals in desperate need of better care are heartbreaking. Once we reach the point in the story that Demers has left MarineLand, the firsthand accounts end and behind the scenes footage. To its detriment, from that moment on, the film becomes a character study of an activist. Director Nathalie Bibeau is a childhood friend of Demers, which helps the former trainer’s comfort level in showing all his strengths and flaws. Demers is intelligent, hardworking, and dedicated to his cause. Still, he revels in the attention highlighting his quarrelsome and showman-like nature. Demers uses his popular Twitter account to antagonize John Holler, the owner of MarineLand his lawyers. Messages like “I’m their nightmare,” “no one else is going to save Smooshi,” and “life is short steal a walrus,” all angered them. The latter even resulted in Demers getting a visit from the police.
People who fight wholeheartedly for a cause deserve to be highlighted for their dedication and sacrifices, but the cause should always be at the center of the story. Unfortunately, “The Walrus and the Whistleblower” devolves from a profoundly moving plea to rescue Smooshi to an examination of man’s stubbornness and predilection for bickering. The cause of the fighting just so happens to be animals in this case. If Demers and Holler had chosen a different life path, they would still be fighting with someone; only the topic would be different.
“The Walrus and the Whistleblower” has great emotional power in its opening moments. During the closing minutes, it highlights how a group, or individual, can cause change on a grand scale just by speaking up. The middle of the film is where it loses its footing. Demers seems like a wonderful person, but focusing on him causes the story to become repetitive, moving from confrontation to confrontation. You end up rooting for Demers solely because he is the one sticking up for Smooshi and the rest. Making Demers come off as more likable or interspersing the videos and stories from within MarineLand’s walls throughout the movie instead of front-loading would have created a more balanced film. “The Walrus and the Whistleblower” is an important story and an overall enjoyable watch, but its week midsection pulls into a tier below “The Cove,” “Blackfish,” and other must-see documentaries.
