{"id":2168890,"date":"2025-11-20T18:21:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T18:21:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2168890"},"modified":"2025-11-20T18:21:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T18:21:13","slug":"rental-family-review-brendan-frasers-fantastic-comeback-continues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/rental-family-review-brendan-frasers-fantastic-comeback-continues\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Rental Family&#8217; review: Brendan Fraser&#8217;s fantastic comeback continues"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2025%2F11%2Frental-family-review.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The return of Brendan Fraser to movies has been full of fun surprises over the past several years.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-module inline-module--review alignleft\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n\t\t<span class=\"inline-module--review__eyebrow subsection-heading-semi__label\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tmovie review\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"inline-module--review__title subsection-heading-semi\">\n\t\t\tRENTAL FAMILY\t\t<\/h2>\n<div class=\"rating\">\n<div class=\"rating__stars\">\n<div class=\"rating__star rating__star--filled\"><?php \/**\n * Review star.\n * \n * @package nyp-editor\n *\/\n\n??><\/p>\n<style><![CDATA[\n\t.review-block-star {\n\t\t--review-block-star--empty-color: #585858;\n\t\t--review-block-star--fill-color: #000;\n\t}\n]]><\/style>\n<p><svg class=\"icon-star review-block-star\" stroke=\"var(--review-block-star--fill-color)\" fill=\"var(--review-block-star--empty-color)\" stroke-width=\"0\" viewbox=\"0 0 16 16\" height=\"13px\" width=\"13px\">\n\t<defs>\n\t\t<lineargradient id=\"half-gradient\">\n\t\t\t<stop stop-opacity=\"1\" offset=\"50%\" stop-color=\"var(--review-block-star--fill-color)\"\/>\n\t\t\t<stop stop-opacity=\"1\" offset=\"0%\" stop-color=\"var(--review-block-star--empty-color)\"\/>\n\t\t<\/lineargradient>\n\t<\/defs>\n\t<path d=\"M3.612 15.443c-.386.198-.824-.149-.746-.592l.83-4.73L.173 6.765c-.329-.314-.158-.888.283-.95l4.898-.696L7.538.792c.197-.39.73-.39.927 0l2.184 4.327 4.898.696c.441.062.612.636.283.95l-3.523 3.356.83 4.73c.078.443-.36.79-.746.592L8 13.187l-4.389 2.256z\">\n\t<\/path>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rating__star rating__star--filled\"><?php \/**\n * Review star.\n * \n * @package nyp-editor\n *\/\n\n??><\/p>\n<style><![CDATA[\n\t.review-block-star {\n\t\t--review-block-star--empty-color: #585858;\n\t\t--review-block-star--fill-color: #000;\n\t}\n]]><\/style>\n<p><svg class=\"icon-star review-block-star\" stroke=\"var(--review-block-star--fill-color)\" fill=\"var(--review-block-star--empty-color)\" stroke-width=\"0\" viewbox=\"0 0 16 16\" height=\"13px\" width=\"13px\">\n\t<defs>\n\t\t<lineargradient id=\"half-gradient\">\n\t\t\t<stop stop-opacity=\"1\" offset=\"50%\" stop-color=\"var(--review-block-star--fill-color)\"\/>\n\t\t\t<stop stop-opacity=\"1\" offset=\"0%\" stop-color=\"var(--review-block-star--empty-color)\"\/>\n\t\t<\/lineargradient>\n\t<\/defs>\n\t<path d=\"M3.612 15.443c-.386.198-.824-.149-.746-.592l.83-4.73L.173 6.765c-.329-.314-.158-.888.283-.95l4.898-.696L7.538.792c.197-.39.73-.39.927 0l2.184 4.327 4.898.696c.441.062.612.636.283.95l-3.523 3.356.83 4.73c.078.443-.36.79-.746.592L8 13.187l-4.389 2.256z\">\n\t<\/path>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rating__star rating__star--filled\"><?php \/**\n * Review star.\n * \n * @package nyp-editor\n *\/\n\n??><\/p>\n<style><![CDATA[\n\t.review-block-star {\n\t\t--review-block-star--empty-color: #585858;\n\t\t--review-block-star--fill-color: #000;\n\t}\n]]><\/style>\n<p><svg class=\"icon-star review-block-star\" stroke=\"var(--review-block-star--fill-color)\" fill=\"var(--review-block-star--empty-color)\" stroke-width=\"0\" viewbox=\"0 0 16 16\" height=\"13px\" width=\"13px\">\n\t<defs>\n\t\t<lineargradient id=\"half-gradient\">\n\t\t\t<stop stop-opacity=\"1\" offset=\"50%\" stop-color=\"var(--review-block-star--fill-color)\"\/>\n\t\t\t<stop stop-opacity=\"1\" offset=\"0%\" stop-color=\"var(--review-block-star--empty-color)\"\/>\n\t\t<\/lineargradient>\n\t<\/defs>\n\t<path d=\"M3.612 15.443c-.386.198-.824-.149-.746-.592l.83-4.73L.173 6.765c-.329-.314-.158-.888.283-.95l4.898-.696L7.538.792c.197-.39.73-.39.927 0l2.184 4.327 4.898.696c.441.062.612.636.283.95l-3.523 3.356.83 4.73c.078.443-.36.79-.746.592L8 13.187l-4.389 2.256z\">\n\t<\/path>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rating__star rating__star--half\"><?php \/**\n * Review star.\n * \n * @package nyp-editor\n *\/\n\n??><\/p>\n<style><![CDATA[\n\t.review-block-star {\n\t\t--review-block-star--empty-color: #585858;\n\t\t--review-block-star--fill-color: #000;\n\t}\n]]><\/style>\n<p><svg class=\"icon-star review-block-star\" stroke=\"var(--review-block-star--fill-color)\" fill=\"var(--review-block-star--empty-color)\" stroke-width=\"0\" viewbox=\"0 0 16 16\" height=\"13px\" width=\"13px\">\n\t<defs>\n\t\t<lineargradient id=\"half-gradient\">\n\t\t\t<stop stop-opacity=\"1\" offset=\"50%\" stop-color=\"var(--review-block-star--fill-color)\"\/>\n\t\t\t<stop stop-opacity=\"1\" offset=\"0%\" stop-color=\"var(--review-block-star--empty-color)\"\/>\n\t\t<\/lineargradient>\n\t<\/defs>\n\t<path d=\"M3.612 15.443c-.386.198-.824-.149-.746-.592l.83-4.73L.173 6.765c-.329-.314-.158-.888.283-.95l4.898-.696L7.538.792c.197-.39.73-.39.927 0l2.184 4.327 4.898.696c.441.062.612.636.283.95l-3.523 3.356.83 4.73c.078.443-.36.79-.746.592L8 13.187l-4.389 2.256z\">\n\t<\/path>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p>Running time: 103 minutes. Rated PG-13 (some strong language, thematic elements, suggestive material). In theaters.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>He\u2019s gone from \u201cMonkeybone\u201d to<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2023\/03\/12\/brendan-fraser-wins-best-actor-at-2023-oscars\/\"> Oscar winner<\/a>; from being the aughts\u2019 favorite action-comedy star in films such as \u201cThe Mummy\u201d and \u201cGeorge of the Jungle\u201d to everybody\u2019s kind, albeit flawed, dad.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That is, in essence, the role Fraser plays in \u201cRental Family,\u201d a bittersweet dramedy from director Hikari set in Tokyo. He\u2019s Phillip, a pop for hire.<\/p>\n<p>Or a groom, or a funeral mourner, or an admiring reporter. You name it. In Japan, you can really pay people to pretend to be all those things and more \u2014 a fresh take on the oldest profession.<\/p>\n<p>Phillip is a mostly out-of-work American actor who has started a new life in Asia. And to make a buck, he\u2019s taken on parts in real people\u2019s lives for a company called Rental Family, owned by an aggressive startup type named Shinji (Takehiro Hira).\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter\">\n<div class=\"inline-module inline-module--more inline-module--columnist inline-module--more--thirds\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<h2 class=\"inline-module__heading subsection-heading subsection-heading--single-line \">\n\t\t\tMore From\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"subsection-heading__sub\">Johnny Oleksinski<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>For instance, Phillip helps a closeted lesbian trick her traditional parents into believing she\u2019s marrying a dude by donning the tux and saying, \u201cI do.\u201d The madcap scene plays out like a farce.<\/p>\n<p>But the assignment that finally cracks the man, who heretofore has been very good at his bizarre job, is faking being a little girl named Mia\u2019s father to help her get into a highly selective school.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>At first Mia hates him, believing Phillip abandoned her as a baby. Then she starts wishing he were around more. There\u2019s a whiff of \u201cMrs. Doubtfire\u201d to their warming friendship, only minus the camp and, well, drag. \u201cRental Family\u201d is no zany comedy.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Brendan Fraser plays a dad for hire in \u201cRental Family.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Meanwhile, off the clock, Phillip is single, childless and his only intimacy is with a prostitute \u2014 a mirror of himself. Being a dad, even a pretend one, rewires him.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRental Family\u201d is a heartwarming jewel of a movie that is a dazzling showcase of Japan\u2019s urban and natural beauty, instead of the usual depiction of hoards of tourists surrounded by skyscrapers and lit by LEDs.<\/p>\n<p>Before <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/09\/17\/the-whale-review-brendan-frasers-comeback-is-unforgettable\/\">the deadly serious \u201cThe Whale,\u201d <\/a>the first major step in Fraser\u2019s fascinating second act, I didn\u2019t know the actor could be so gentle and compassionate. Not to mention tortured. After all, he\u2019d heroically swung in on ropes in multiple films.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But it turns out he\u2019s a softie with a direct line to our souls.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Phillip (Fraser) pretends to be the father of Mia (Shannon Mahina Gorman) <span class=\"credit\">AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There isn\u2019t anguish here, of course. Phillip isn\u2019t homebound, like the devastating character that won Fraser an Academy Award. However, he\u2019s similarly lonely and dreaming of a better life. And this story is a great deal more optimistic than \u201cThe Whale,\u201d which is a tough watch for many.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Phillip is a perfect part for Fraser, and he\u2019s as terrific as you\u2019d hope he be.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRental Family\u201d doesn\u2019t rely on him completely. He\u2019s the straight man surrounded by a pack of quirky, adorable characters.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>He also connects with an eclectic retired stage actor, Kikup (Akira Emoto).  <span class=\"credit\">AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There is his stubborn and direct coworker Aiko (Mari Yamamoto), who puts up with far more objectionable gigs than Phillip ever would.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And an elderly stage actor, Kikuo (Akira Emoto),\u00a0who Phillip has been hired to \u201cinterview\u201d for a fake magazine, has old-school theatrical panache. And only Phillip seems to grasp how extraordinary he is. They go on a risky adventure.<\/p>\n<p>And Shannon Mahina Gorman makes a precocious Mia, who dreams of having a dad.<\/p>\n<p>The ending could hit home more, true. Ultimately \u201cRental Family\u201d doesn\u2019t aspire to be much more than genial, lovable and small.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But not everything needs to be a whale.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source celebrity.land \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The return of Brendan Fraser to movies has been full of fun surprises over the past several years.\u00a0 movie review RENTAL FAMILY Running time: 103 minutes. Rated PG-13 (some strong language, thematic elements, suggestive material). In theaters. He\u2019s gone from \u201cMonkeybone\u201d to Oscar winner; from being the aughts\u2019 favorite action-comedy star in films such as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2168891,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25174],"tags":[25538,342228,21741,21993,304995,21912],"class_list":["post-2168890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gossip","tag-actors","tag-brendan-fraser","tag-entertainment","tag-films","tag-movie-reviews","tag-movies"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Rental-Family-review-Brendan-Frasers-fantastic-comeback-continues.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2168890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2168890"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2168890\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2168892,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2168890\/revisions\/2168892"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2168891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2168890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2168890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2168890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}