IR Interview: Brendan Fraser For "Rental Family" [Searchlight]

The Inside Reel

Actor Brendan Fraser talks to The Inside Reel about perspective, approach and listening in regards to his comedy/drama “Rental Family” from Searchlight.

Transcript

00:00And what you'll discover is that they stay with you.

00:30Well, this is amazing.

00:33It's cool, but it's fake.

00:36You know, sometimes it's okay to pretend.

00:39You know, with Rental Family, there's so many things to unpack, but it's about, in my, what I saw was also perspective and perception.

00:47The perspective of this man, the perception of the culture, their perception of him.

00:52There's so many different thematics that run through that.

00:55Can you talk about sort of those different layers that appeal to you?

00:58Well, what you just said, and also themes of finding whatever spirituality means to you, a theme of fathers and sons and daughters,

01:13and reconciling the past by using others who may not be your immediate family to stand in in the present.

01:25And Rental Family is a film that's resplendent and beautiful, and it's a love letter to loneliness.

01:36But it's addressed to Tokyo, but it could be anywhere.

01:42And the premise of the movie is based on a business model that does exist and has done since the 1980s, I believe.

01:50Wherein clients can call and ask for members of family that they need to stand in for them to come and visit, spend an afternoon.

02:03Take on the role of whichever member that you may feel is lacking in your life.

02:10Even if it's make-believe and even if it's temporal, it still does serve a purpose.

02:17And this film has a sense of that make-believe coming up against the reality of life

02:27and finding out what happens in that blurry, sometimes ethically ambiguous space in between.

02:37And our director, Hikari, is an incredible new talent on the scene, in the business now.

02:46And she is Japanese.

02:48She studied in the United States.

02:51She has a very interesting multidisciplinary background as an artist.

02:54But now, she's given us this film that shows that family is really who we have, who we choose.

03:07Not always the one we're assigned to.

03:09What's my part?

03:14So, what do you think we do here?

03:16We sell emotion.

03:18How?

03:19We play roles in clients' lives.

03:21Parents, siblings, boyfriends, girlfriends, best friends.

03:25And help them connect to what's missing.

03:28I'm just an actor.

03:29I don't know how to help people.

03:30What I'm offering here is a chance to play roles with real meaning.

03:34What do you need me for?

03:36We need a talking white guy.

03:38This girl needs a father.

03:45Hi, Mia.

03:46I'm your father.

03:47I'm your father.

03:49Hello, Mia.

03:50I'm your father.

03:51I hate you.

03:54She hates me.

03:55It's what being a parent is.

03:57I like you said something.

03:58You said temporal, which is interesting about mortality and immortality.

04:02And that's why your scenes, not only with the girl that plays Mia, but also Akira.

04:08Some of those scenes, the environment and just sitting and listening.

04:12So much of acting is listening and not just performing.

04:16Could you talk about that balance?

04:17So much of acting is listening and not just hearing.

04:21There's a difference.

04:22And when you watch Shannon Gorman, our nine-year-old newcomer, who's just incredible, her mom's

04:28Japanese, her dad's Irish, she is the embodiment of that character.

04:33And this little girl had never acted before, and it's perfect.

04:38She's one of those rare ones that you have to not rehearse too much with or even stop because

04:46you don't want to play your game in the locker room.

04:50You know what I mean?

04:52Just get her to the set and point the thing at her and let her go.

04:56She's just terrific.

04:57Akira Emoto, you mentioned, is one of Japan's living treasures in the industry, for reals.

05:05So, I mean, you could say, yes, I agree.

05:08You could listen to him, read a phone book.

05:09And he's, let's just put it this way.

05:13Ian McKellen is the British Akira Emoto.

05:16If Akira Emoto is Japan's Ian McKellen.

05:23I love the Gods of Monsters reference.

05:25Thank you very much, Paul.

05:26Thank you very much.

05:27Have a great one, Brendan.

05:28Good to talk to you again.

05:30Congratulations on the movie.

05:30You could live in this country for a hundred years, and there will still be things you

05:36won't understand.

05:37Why do you do this?

05:38Sometimes, the story we tell ourselves becomes the truth.

05:43To her parents, you are her husband.

05:47These people look at you.

05:48Like they've been waiting for you their whole lives.

05:51And I...

05:53And I...

05:56And I...

06:02And I...

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