Page 14 - aruba-today-20220906

a14 people & arts
Tuesday 6 sepTember 2022
Brendan Fraser celebrated for comeback role in ‘The Whale’

By LINDSEY BAHR But I think what she’s not
AP Film Writer expecting is someone who
VENICE, Italy (AP) — Bren- cares so much about her,”
dan Fraser is having a mo- Sink said. “For someone like
ment at the Venice Inter- Charlie to see that there’s
national Film Festival. good in someone like Ellie,
The once ubiquitous movie it’s throwing her for a loop.”
star of “The Mummy” fran- Hunter, who also wrote the
chise and “George of the screenplay, said his play is
Jungle” had, in the last de- personal. He started it 12
cade, backed away from years ago when he was
the spotlight. But Fraser is teaching a mandatory ex-
charting what could be a pository writing course at
major comeback starting Rutgers University that no
with his transformative role one wanted to take and
in Darren Aronofsky’s “The everyone resented. He also
Whale,” which had its world pulled from his own back-
premiere Sunday night at ground, setting the play in
the festival. his hometown of Moscow,
As the credits rolled in the Idaho, and weaving in his
Sala Grande theater, the history of being depressed,
audience gave the film a self-medicating with food
long standing ovation while Brendan Fraser poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film ‘The Whale’ during and going to a fundamen-
Fraser, on the balcony the 79th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022. talist religious high school
alongside his director and Associated Press as a gay teenager.
co-stars, wiped tears away. out to him: “People are in- Fraser, who also has a role not know that I had. I even “I was afraid to write it,” he
Fraser plays Charlie, a re- capable of not caring.” alongside Leonardo Di- felt a sense of vertigo at the said. “I thought the only
clusive English teacher with It’s why, he said, he had to Caprio in Martin Scorsese’s end of the day when all the way I can do it is if I write
a kind soul who weighs 600 make the film. next film, “Killers of the Flow- appliances were removed, it from a profoundly place
pounds (270 kilograms). But casting presented a er Moon,” said he doesn’t as you would feel stepping of love and empathy. ... I
While the film already has challenge. “know an actor in my peer off of a boat in Venice,” wanted (Charlie) to be a
pundits predicting Oscar “To a lot of Sam Hunter’s group worth his weight in Fraser said. “It gave me an lighthouse in the middle of
nominations, Fraser is trying pain, it took me 10 years salt who wouldn’t want to appreciation for those with a dark, dark sea.”
not to think about whether to make this movie and work with Darren.” bodies similar. ... I learned “The Whale” was Aronof-
awards are in his future. that’s because it took me Plus: “By far and away I that you need to be an sky’s favorite kind of chal-
“I’m just trying to stay in to- 10 years to cast,” Aronofsky think Charlie is the most incredibly strong person, lenge — in that it had
day,” Fraser said before the said. “Casting Charlie was heroic man I have ever physically, mentally, to in- so many limitations. He
premiere. a huge challenge. I consid- played,” Fraser added. “His habit that body.” learned long ago on 1998’s
Aronofsky has been trying ered everyone. Every single superpower is to see the Beyond his physicality, “Pi” that boundaries are
to make “The Whale” for movie star on the planet. good in others and bring Charlie is also a charac- “your gateway to free-
about 10 years. He vividly But none of it really clicked. that out of them.” ter with profound empa- dom.” On that film, he only
remembers reading The ... It didn’t move me. It Prosthetics were used to thy and love for everyone had $20,000 and a dream.
New York Times review of didn’t feel right.” transform Fraser into Char- around him, including his In “Mother!” he was limited
Samuel D. Hunter’s play, Then, a few years ago, he lie, who rarely leaves his estranged daughter, Ellie, to a house. And, in “The
going out to see it, and saw a trailer for “a low- couch. played by “Stranger Things” Whale,” it’s not just a single
knowing he had to meet budget Brazilian movie” “I needed to learn to abso- star Sadie Sink. apartment, it’s also a char-
the writer. with Fraser and “a lightbulb lutely move in a new way. “She’s got a lot of things acter who doesn’t move
One line in particular stuck went off,” he said. I developed muscles I did to say so she comes in hot. much.q

Russia sanctions 25 more Americans,

including Penn, Stiller

Russia imposed personal Dakota, Rick Scott of Flor- leaders.
sanctions Monday on 25 ida, and Pat Toomey of The U.S. has sanctioned
Americans, including ac- Pennsylvania. numerous Russians, includ-
tors Sean Penn and Ben Russia’s Foreign Ministry ing government officials
Stiller, in response to U.S. said the group, which also and business people.
sanctions against Russians included business leaders, Penn and Stiller have been
stemming from the conflict academics and govern- outspoken critics of Rus-
in Ukraine. ment officials, would be sia’s invasion of Ukraine.
U.S. Commerce Secretary banned permanently from Penn is an activist involved
Gina Raimondo was on entering Russia. in relief work, among other
the new sanctions list, as Previous rounds of Russian causes.
were several American sanctions against Ameri- Stiller is a goodwill am-
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, senators: Mark Kelly and cans have included Presi- bassador for the U.N.
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Ben Stiller talks with Ukrainian Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, dent Joe Biden and mem- High Commissioner for
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their meeting in Kyiv, Kevin Cramer of North Da- bers of his family, as well as Refugees.q
Ukraine, June 20, 2022.
Associated Press kota, Mike Rounds of South lawmakers and business