(“The Whale” photo from A24; “Tár” photo from Focus Features)
Brendan Fraser and Cate Blanchett were the winners in the lead film acting categories at the 28th annual Critics Choice Awards Jan. 15.
Fraser took home Best Actor for his portrayal of a reclusive, morbidly obese gay man trying to reconcile with his teenage daughter in Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale.”
“I was in the wilderness, and I probably should have left a trail of breadcrumbs, but you found me,” Fraser said during his acceptance speech. “Like all the best directors you merely just showed me where to go to get to where I needed to be.”
Fraser finished his speech with a message to those who may identify with his character from the film.
If you, like a guy like Charlie — who I played in this movie — in any way struggle with obesity, or you just feel like you’re in a dark sea, I want you to know that if you too can have the strength to just get to your feet and go to the light good things will happen,” he said.
Cate Blanchett took home the Best Actress award for her role as fictional conductor Lydia Tár in the movie “Tár.” Blanchett criticized award shows during her speech, calling it a “patriarchal pyramid,” and praised the work of all female actress.
“Every single women with a television, film, advertising, Tampon commercial; whatever, you’re all out there doing amazing work that is inspiring me continually,” she said.
Other winners of the night included the multiverse action comedy “Everything Everywhere All at Once” taking home Best Picture. The movie also won Best Director, Best Editing and Best Original Screenplay as well as Best Supporting Actor for the film’s male star Ke Huy Quan.
Actress Angela Bassett won Best Supporting Actress for her powerful performance in the the latest Marvel film “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
See the full list of winners at CriticsChoice.com.
