The 2022 Venice Film Festival is halfway through its run and, as expected, the movie event has brought together a slate of titles that have become this year’s standouts, and we’ll certainly hear from them in the months to come. One of these titles, The Whale, was already a must-watch from the get-go: the movie stars Brendan Fraser as a 600-pound man who is doing his best to reconnect with his estranged daughter. Yesterday, the movie had its premiere at the festival, and the public’s reaction to his performance was more than enthusiastic.
According to attendees, Fraser – who was present at the premiere in Venice – received a six-minute standing ovation at the end of the screening. In a video posted by Variety’s co-editor in chief Ramin Setoodeh, the actor can be seen thanking the audience. Clearly moved and trying to fight back tears, Fraser does an exaggerated bow and prepares to exit the theater, but is prompted to stay due to the continuous roar of applause.
