Fresh off a massive standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival that left him in tears, Brendan Fraser received another dose of audience affection and Best Actor buzz at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday night for his performance in “The Whale.”
“One of the greatest performances of this or any year. Believe the hype,” Variety executive editor Brent Lang wrote on Twitter.
Added Lang’s Variety colleague Clayton Davis in a longer piece expanding on Fraser and “The Whale,” “It’s more than prosthetics. More than the comeback. Brendan Fraser’s work as Charlie in Darren Aronofsky’s ‘The Whale’ is a profound performance for the ages. … Fraser delivers one of the best performances of the year. ‘The Whale’ will surely land him an Oscar nomination for best actor.”
Echoed The Hollywood Reporter executive editor of awards, Scott Feinberg, “The glue that holds [‘The Whale’] together, because his humanity can shine through any amount of prosthetics, is Brendan Fraser, who’s now your man to beat in the best actor race.”
Based on the play by Samuel D. Hunter (who also wrote the A24 film’s screenplay), “The Whale” is a drama focused on Charlie (Fraser), a severely obese man with congestive heart failure who reconnects with his teenager daughter (Sadie Sink) near the end of his life after they’ve been estranged for years following Charlie’s affair with another man.
The #TIFF22 moderator eventually forced TIFF audiences to stop giving Brendan Fraser a standing ovation so they can proceed with the Q&A
. The love in here for THE WHALE is overwhelming pic.twitter.com/Sj8WNYNziL
— Jason (@jasonosia) September 11, 2022
“Art is about taking a risk, and [Aronofsky and writer Samuel D. Hunter] took a chance on me, and I’m grateful to them,” Fraser said following the screening in Toronto on Sunday. “’The Whale’ is a redemption story… he’s gone through significant life changes and has forgotten about who he is and the ones he loves, and he’s running out of time to tell them that — if he can at all. But, he has a superpower: Charlie sees the good in others when they can’t see that in themselves, and he can bring that out in them. I’m a firm believer that we need more of that in this world. It’s the audience that gives cinema life, so I must thank you for keeping me in the job that I love because it’s nice work if you can get it.”
To play Charlie, Fraser spent hours in makeup and worked with the Obesity Action Coalition to make sure his performance felt authentic, he said previously. “I learned quickly that it takes an incredibly strong person inside that body to be that person,” Fraser told Vanity Fair. “That seemed fitting and poetic and practical to me, all at once.”
Fraser is a top contender for Best Actor this year not just because of what pundits have called his “transcendent performance” but also thanks to his comeback narrative. Fraser was a massive star in the 1990s, leading box office hits like “The Mummy” and beloved comedy favorites such as “Encino Man” and “Airheads.” He retreated during the 2000s – that result, he told GQ in 2018, was a mix of personal tragedy, exhaustion, and an incident of alleged sexual assault, which Fraser said left him feeling “reclusive.” But in recent years, Fraser has returned with acclaimed roles on television (“Trust,” “The Affair,” “Doom Patrol”) and in film (Steven Soderbergh’s “No Sudden Move”). Following the release of “The Whale” in December – and the potential of a lengthy awards run for his performance – Fraser will star in Martin Scorsese’s “The Killers of the Flower Moon” alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro.
Read on for more Toronto reactions to “The Whale” and Fraser’s performance (as well as those of his costars, particularly Sink).
I haven’t been this moved by a performance in SO LONG. Believe the hype, Brendan Fraser is this year’s Oscar front runner for The Whale. #TIFF22 pic.twitter.com/20JmUgMAS8
— Lando @ TIFF22 (@orlandoenelcine) September 12, 2022
THE WHALE is Brendan Fraser's finest hour. His performance here is heartbreaking, poignant and gripping. The makeup work is outstanding and the writing is exquisite. Sadie Sink is a tremendous force of nature. Ugly cried through the beautiful, devastating ending. #TIFF22
— Dave Baldwin @ #TIFF22 (@davemabaldwin) September 12, 2022
THE WHALE: Every fibre of Brendan Fraser’s soul is up there, man. A performance for the ages.#TIFF22
— Matt (@Matt24Jays) September 11, 2022
THE WHALE packs an emotional wallop thanks to the career-best work from Brendan Fraser. One of the most powerful & heartbreaking performances of all time. Incredible makeup & supporting turns from Hong Chau, Sadie Sink & Samantha Morton. The final five minutes will wreck you. pic.twitter.com/hJXK0FjhiN
— Matt Neglia @TIFF (@NextBestPicture) September 11, 2022
I’ve never participated in a standing ovation in my life. After watching Brendan Fraser in THE WHALE and making me bawl heavy tears, I didn’t hesitate to stand. Idk how long I clapped but I could’ve done it all night. A real vulnerable performance from a real icon. #TIFF22 pic.twitter.com/1PUPWiYAQO
— Rendy Jones @ #TIFF22 (@rendy_jones) September 12, 2022
THE WHALE: Heart-wrenching, poignant. A completely mesmerizing and unforgettable performance from Brendan Fraser. My heart is as broken as Charlie's. Aronofsky is truly the ultimate actors' director. A pure acting masterclass from everyone (Chau, Sink, Simpkins, Morton). #TIFF22 pic.twitter.com/hWdhKeFZdq
— Jason (@jasonosia) September 12, 2022
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