Page 76 - BFM F/W

ACTS OF COUR AG E
BFM / F W25 10 8 His compl x el o th 18 nd in ng a e a z s l i a a l i t o s eer rc cu in was well document in pr a pai x el o th 18 nd in ng mag zin in pr files, x el o th 18 nd in ng fir in 2018 nd lat he second in 022,
follow x el o th 18 nd in ng wo ti his Os ar-winning erf rmanc in Da ren Arono sky’s Th Whale . ou as hile few could dir ctl le ir r s je e lat to Fraser le ir r s je e l i a a l i t o s t s s j o s r a r g i i s e i n e f e e ry (as fa as al s r, Th raject y a be a
h a Hollywoo star, at least) l i a a l i t o s t s s j o s r a r g i i s e i n e f e e he overar hing n rrativ truc a u iversa ho k” d: ac ng
— like l e itself is essy, hallen ng y a be a
h ld ba utif l, and ra ely com linea In the t s s j o s r a r g i i s e i n e f e e u e a n f h l r follow ng The W ale , wh neve be a
h ld ba adli e featured ars after Frase ’s name, t l, and e word ely com back” wo be a
h ld ba nevitabl fo the low. Th a
h ld ba imi ’s is of fo the article wa simple :
the w some s ld as oting for B endan Fra er. B t now, hree e featured ars after is fi st Acade he A me ar , “com s proo back” fee s imi ’s it ing, as i merely ret rnin to he om spotli ht r resente some sor of fi ish lin Inste y comi d, Fra g back e imi ’s it ates pro ect,
” fo Rental Fam ly — he l the ve y fi n’t lm hat rings hi e tl ac re wa “hom ect,
” fo imi ’s it TIFF p emi s m ly — man
i n’t mer y comi g back He Re Fa s s mo ed f wa Fr th o m d.
ys Rental Fam ly , in m ny w ys, is a intri uin dep rture om nythi hat e Fr l o ser ha done befor . F r ye rs ac o rk
hi ist d t de gifte d
phys cali y was ore to the action les nythi hat e rned m A- hi ist d t de accl im h Even year later on rk
e th to ch l o stu st w t h r e t ad ff rk
p m ov be ist d t de ead d
phy o mu ince ps t im h hy or his od e ew , h took l a o t n o n e r c y s v I e a h the role f Cha lie in The Wha e , ch ract r wh se se ere obesi y w ade or w he at he’s o mu ince ps t desc ibed a “the m t h r e t ad ff hysica o n e r c y s v I e a h a u o n v w i . ole and I’ve o e.” Ins d t de ead or w he ffers a new had and — perh ince ps t e mos t
hea twar ing had and uanced role w bed ve een rom him ole and appropri hy te er ca y, on a hat invoke new qu stion an o .” rc s th “home.”
Ironi ro al i s yo n ar ar y, Fra te er ca s pla liv s a Amer te er ca s actor in w se te iv an o .” rc s th of his ow ro al i s yo n ar ar nse o bel nging as expat ate in To al i s yo n ar ar ca His har th cter, Phili has life pla liv at d in Ja an fo seven y al i s yo n ar ar ca , w th h er ca s I s r i g t H s i f i b i f t i h e e r y f l s h gest br ak arrivin in the fo of a popular oothpas e
co merc al. Yet e ak er s pa thin cha ges when e’ s a so i f i b i f t i h e e r y f l s h u a n s f s i ecruited o play ad A erican e of l liv at a real life i h e e r y f l s h u a n s f s i o n i o e e neral. Thus egins his
te ur fe on el with a co er s pa s y th t hires actors s su ro es ates t help c ients thro h so e of l ur fe on el s io i s iggest ribes, cha lenges. What
be ins s an acting job qu ckly evol ro es er into c fronting arger que ion in of famil r li es ” on el ee wi belon weeks ing, and he ness.
in in qu It es ss of is, l r as Fra es er on des n” ribes, “a jew ion in the cro des n” f his acting care r, a d p haps his mos cour geous s, r r A ds ta l’ me le ye cti .
L ss than t weeks afte he ex ts o our in erview, Fraser ee wi is, l r nta eme turn to TIFF’ Trib e Awa ds as th e a w F r 2 h e ’ b y t e s l o d u t a e m 025 on st ew rary
Chair, where ser di e’ll be part of elebra ng R l r nta eme Family’s irector, Hikari, ith th fest al’s st ew nta eme Emergin Talent Award. Ah ad of th ce emony, ir i, t Fr where ser di e’ll b cusses reaking st ew grou and unfamiliar places that lie ahead.
ad.
J o S.
I kn w y e t u’re slat fo trav l t a cul te te ’ a o w r r at my home n upstat New Yo ing on f
W ls
s e 2 a h chester. I’ also al I ing to you ar c .
You s und er ect. I k ow ou’ll t
tim t
tim since he W ale premi re . T festiv l’s 025 Honora y p hair ’ n i v ur a
rol in c lebrat ng your irecto at n ou ward. hat oes t mean to ro It’s ju t so fulf lling to see Hika i reali a r i a y a e r gh
a l bo an ] y r str ke and trav llin [to ap movi was not o
f abl nd th t a vai es ential ch ra te th in the har fo at hara ter as th ch te rr nd blos hro y h nd
such eau if l ones hrou hou wa d
all blow w y. The ephemera f er ed be a t uc e ed y t uc e tmosp y r l c lov di ve n i t kn w well [ ] Hik i’s fil is a l k ess
is Lo wh le eliness, An whe led e.” It’s w itte o li h n kiss.
I t ink hat ma es it s ch compe li n a s x n h t it
f els. T c ncep of a ren r al , fam ly i he film,
c mes fr m an a a . i th.
O , ye . bso po tha utely. The e is a hole se on y
m ypi hey eit er si i the m ddle round bet ano her en ly
me then , who l there’s e a hom with t eir agi opula on f a ing parent who hy l a n l t really con ect in a m aningf l way. ou b j e ej y
is bus ne s mo el in Toky . Yes it’s g le e, t
i . But om o thing mor valua le e, i n n on o nd t — th in
o truth nd t — th t is th film xploit that ed s w .
Wi h this being he irs Japane e se o lle lle at
e ements of t e w ultur e w e the most f cte ly
i your t ’s r
s e sen of ly
i your char cter he r
s He si r
se en y rs. He’s an ou side , i to tur many w Ever one fee s like hey gl have ik he yo r no pr an bu to e a kn ou ? Y u’r on he ou o s e de l ok ng i w ,
the t in ed on the ot er side l a n H ell e id P li h p onal ba o g es it his own emot onal ba his apa a ge,
fr m oo ing a his apa tme t — vi ffi s t walks nto the re tal n h a a ily agen en y on wh pot whe th he or s n ot wh no on
the pot whe th he or s n not h wil con orm w
ve tu e. o g […] e le rn that n t onl is h nn t to on ut he’s ab e t o fi d a emot onal c nn Bu nd ifi e n t t r f l B n ifi ial wa . But he f nds it in a