Brendan Fraser Features
Lili’s Pick: The Passion of Darkly Noon
Lanie’s Pick: Bedazzled
When viewing films by actor, we look for films that will expand our repertoire, rather than seeking out the films that are revered or considered “good”. The films of Brendan Fraser, another unproblematic fave, run the gamut of good films and questionable movies. Neither of the movies we viewed this week were spectacular, I’ll say that. However, both Bedazzled and The Passion of Darkly Noon somehow maintained a special kind of charm that I assume can only come from Brendan Fraser’s humble and genuine presence as a performer. In Bedazzled, wherein a latex-clad Elizabeth Hurley plays the Devil alongside Fraser’s buffoonish, lonely goof, the absurd and cartoonish nature of films from the year 2000 is on full display. I kinda wanted him and the Devil to end up together in the end, I won’t lie, but as indicated by the present-day film career of Brendan Fraser, we don’t always get the ending we deserve. In terms of the curious case of The Passion of Darkly Noon… how shall I put this… On a weirdo scale from Wes Anderson to David Lynch, this falls somewhere in the middle, which means it didn’t rate high enough to piss me off—we love that! The premise of this film essentially revolves around a runaway cultist (Brendan Fraser) who is nursed back to strength by a witch in the woods (Ashley Judd) until her boyfriend’s (Viggo Mortensen) presence complicates things to an extreme degree. I was concerned that the plot wouldn’t make sense but it actually did. It’s just that... I am still wondering why any of it happened, or made any sense. I think it would’ve been even more interesting if Ashley Judd’s character were rewarded the same mysterious darkness that Brendan Fraser and Viggo Mortensen were displaying—when I heard “witch” I got really, really excited but it didn’t meet my standard of witchy. This is no shade to Miss Judd, I mean she was essentially living my dream: becoming involved with Viggo Mortensen and Brendan Fraser, and I gotta respect her stamina. For all of the moments that made me go “umm” there were an equal amount that made me go “hmm”. If you’re wondering how I’m still able to appreciate these movies, flaws and all, it’s because of the power of Brendan Fraser. He never fails to bring a smile to my face, and even in the very worst of films he is casually, familiarly wonderful. His career was cut short for a reason that I’m afraid many people are not aware of—an article from GQ broke this story, one that’s certainly worth a read, whether or not your love for this tender hunk runs as deep as mine.
