of In one of the most unexpected cinematic comebacks ever, Brendan Fraser became an Oscar frontrunner after transforming into a morbidly obese man in “The Whale,” which premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Sunday. I was. One of Hollywood’s most famous figures in the 1990s, Fraser starred as the brawny Hank in family blockbusters, movies like ‘George of the Jungle’ and ‘The Mummy’. , his film career came to an end in his later years. 2000s. But his return as Charlie, a 600-pound (250-kilogram) English professor looking to reunite with his daughter, quickly garnered accolades.
“I had to learn to move in a completely new way,” Fraser told reporters in Venice. “I developed muscles I didn’t know I had. I even felt dizzy when all the appliances were removed at the end of the day, just like when we got off the boat here in Venice.” This work is directed by Darren Aronofsky, an American director known for dark indie films such as “Black Swan” and “Requiem for a Dream,” who won the Golden Lion Award for “The Wrestler” in Venice in 2008. Latest work. ”. But the “whale” has a very optimistic attitude.
Kudos to Fraser
As the story unfolds, the reason for Charlie’s obesity is revealed, rooted in his sexuality and religion-related trauma. “Charlie is the most heroic man I have ever played,” said Fraser. “His superpower is seeing the good in others and bringing it out.” Aronofsky said this was “the most important message to send to the world.”
“Everybody is leaning into cynicism and darkness and giving up hope, which is exactly what we don’t need right now. The film drew criticism for being a “soup melodrama”, but in Screen Daily’s words, there was almost unanimous praise for Fraser’s performance. was. “The Brenda Renaissance has begun! Fraser delivers a great performance in every sense of the word,” he wrote for IndieWire. Deadline said that “unprecedented” Fraser is “at the forefront of the Best Actor race.”
“Dark Sea Lighthouse”
There was some complaint in the US press as to whether an obese person should have been cast in the role. “Then, a few years ago, I found a trailer for a little low-budget Brazilian movie. Brendan was in it and the light bulb went out.” “The Whale” was originally a play by Samuel D. Hunter. , helped adapt to the screen. “I wrote this character from a very personal place. I have a history of self-medicating with food. I was a gay kid going to a religious fundamentalist high school,” he said in Venice. Told. “I was scared to write. The only way I could do it was to write it from a place of love and empathy…I wanted him to be a lighthouse in the dark sea.” – AFP
