Perspective: Brendan Fraser’s comeback says less about him than it says about us
Fraser plays a very big man in a little movie called “The Whale,” which opens in theaters Dec. 9. When it premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September, the actor received an eight-minute standing ovation that left him and the audience in tears. Best actor trophy talk immediately ensued, and three months later he’s still the bookmaker’s choice, in part because no one outside festival audiences has seen “The Whale” and in part because everyone seems happy to have Brendan Fraser back.
Regarding that specific interview, what had happened was the actor’s mother had died the previous week. More pertinent to his career, his role as a villainous prison guard in the third season of “The Affair” introduced a new Brendan Fraser: heavier in body and in spirit, wiser to the world’s disappointments and much less nice than before. No longer a leading man but one of those fringe benefits you look forward to running into halfway down a movie’s cast list.
The new movie partakes of that same sense of damage, regret and reconciliation. Based on a 2016 play by Samuel D. Hunter and directed with few frills by maverick filmmaker Darren Aronofsky , “The Whale” is about a 600-pound man named Charlie who never leaves his apartment, teaching high school English by Zoom — not surprisingly, Melville’s “Moby Dick” is on the curriculum — and trying to make amends to an angry teenage daughter while binge-eating his way toward coronary failure.
Perhaps the first movie star comeback was Gloria Swanson in “Sunset Boulevard” — the first only because Hollywood hadn’t been around long enough in 1950 for film actors to even have a second act. Billy Wilder’s acid-etched Beverly Hills freak show depicted the titans of the Silent Era as egotistical monsters playing to a camera that had long ago stopped rolling, and Swanson’s fearless performance changed her image from a has-been drama queen to a genuinely talented diva.
Österreich Neuesten Nachrichten, Österreich Schlagzeilen
Similar News:Sie können auch ähnliche Nachrichten wie diese lesen, die wir aus anderen Nachrichtenquellen gesammelt haben.
Adidas exec releases biodegradable sneaker from Unless CollectiveThe exec behind Adidas' partnership with Kanye West just released a biodegradable sneaker expected to be a 'game changer' for the industry
Weiterlesen »
Ravens look playoff-bound, but could be gone quickly unless they sort out these issuesThe Baltimore Ravens have developed a troubling trend this season: They can't close out games. This week's 28-27 defeat at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars marked the fourth time this season that the Ravens lost despite having a two-score lead in the second half.
Weiterlesen »
Sadie Sink had never seen a Brendan Fraser movie before The WhaleSadie Sink plays Brendan Fraser's daughter in the buzzy new Aronofsky feature, which premieres December 9
Weiterlesen »
Some University of Utah students will lose their housing unless they can pay nearly doubleBy next summer, hundreds of University of Utah graduate students will have to choose between pricey new campus housing or sky-high rentals off campus.
Weiterlesen »
Christina Applegate cast in 'It's a Wonderful Life' table read, will star alongside Brendan FraserChristina Applegate will play Mary Bailey in a live table read of 'It's a Wonderful Life' next month for the Ed Asner Family Center.
Weiterlesen »