November 3, 2024
FILM: THE SUBSTANCE
DIRECTED BY: CORALIE FARGEAT
STARRING: DEMI MOORE, MARGARET QUALLEY, DENNIS QUAID
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
There was a time in the early 1990s when Demi Moore was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. She had the lead female role in a string of major hits including Ghost, A Few Good Men, and Indecent Proposal. Then a few films failed to live of up to expectations (Striptease, G.I. Jane, The Scarlett Letter) and her star began to fall. In recent years, she’s had very few roles of note but now comes The Substance. It’s really the perfect role for her. Presently in her 60s, she knows exactly how difficult it is to remain at that level of superstardom. In the film, she plays Elisabeth Sparkle, a Hollywood star who is being pushed aside because of her age. An obnoxious executive named Harvey (hmm… a shout out to Harvey Weinstein??), played by a cartoonish Dennis Quaid, says the industry wants their stars “young and hot.” When Elisabeth gets wind of a new “substance” that can bring out a younger version of herself, she goes for it – in spite of all of the warning signs we see and feel as we watch her embark on her journey.
Eventually a younger version does “emerge” in the form of Margaret Qualley, calling that version of Elisabeth “Sue.” Each is only allowed to be their other selves for seven days at a time. Therein lies a series of conflicts as the constant lure of remaining young overtakes Elisabeth’s psyche.
The film received a lot of attention coming out of the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, with writer/director Coralie Fargeat winning the award for Best Screenplay and Demi Moore garnering serious praise and Oscar talk for her lead role. The screenplay is an interesting study because it leaves out a lot of logic that we must suspend in favor of the more plot driven elements often found in science fiction and horror genre films. Viewers shouldn’t ask a lot of questions about any specific scientific realities here. Another version of this film would reveal more details about the experimentation being done, what the company is that is developing it, and how a character like Elisabeth might try to rationalize it with people in her life. However, it works rather well to not include such details and instead take the audience along on the ride of these two characters, a ride that is pretty impressive and disturbing.
Demi Moore is deserved of all of the attention she has received for this performance. Much of her part is silent, so her expressive non-verbals are a key to many of her early scenes. What she does is not only well-modulated but extremely brave as her aging is often clearly on display through numerous close-ups. She still looks absolutely amazing though. But then that is the problem with Hollywood: it wants women to stay young looking while constantly trying to find those that are “younger and hotter.” Make no mistake though, if you were a fan of Moore from her earlier career, you’ll likely agree that she’s great in the film but you might be turned off by what she has to go through. This is NOT a film for the squeamish! There are high doses of body horror on screen for large chunks of the film. Most of it is pretty necessary to tell this story. The last half hour does go a bit over the top which is effective dramatically and visually but takes the viewer further than perhaps they need to go.
Every technical element of the film though is top notch. The music score is very intense and foreboding. The production design includes large, modern spaces that suggest how alone Elisabeth is. Some of these reminded me of the sparse sets found in the brilliant AppleTV+ series, Severance. The cinematography in The Substance captures these settings with long shots that provide an expansive view of Elisabeth’s life which appears very cold and impersonal, with constant reminders of her younger self. The make-up and visual effects need serious Oscar consideration as well. It is hard to forget the gruesomeness that is created throughout the film, effectively turning Elisabeth and Sue into variations of a monster.
Watching it, I was reminded of several films including Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream. In that classic, Ellen Burstyn is transformed into a very dark version of her character’s self in part of due to drugs and a similar desire to remain young. There’s an obsession with youthful beauty that is a part of both Burstyn and Moore’s characters in these films. Other influences here seem to be Brian De Palma’s Carrie, David Lynch’s The Elephant Man, and Ridley Scott’s Alien. I’ll even throw in the great disasters associated with science found in James Whales’ Frankenstein films. These are all great works and The Substance stands on its own as a very effective commentary on how difficult it is to age gracefully in Hollywood and how people turn to the latest crazes to remain young, beautiful, and wanted.
The Substance is still playing in limited release but is now also available to view on MUBI and to rent/purchase on Amazon Prime Video.
FILM: THE SUBSTANCE
DIRECTED BY: CORALIE FARGEAT
STARRING: DEMI MOORE, MARGARET QUALLEY, DENNIS QUAID
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
There was a time in the early 1990s when Demi Moore was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. She had the lead female role in a string of major hits including Ghost, A Few Good Men, and Indecent Proposal. Then a few films failed to live of up to expectations (Striptease, G.I. Jane, The Scarlett Letter) and her star began to fall. In recent years, she’s had very few roles of note but now comes The Substance. It’s really the perfect role for her. Presently in her 60s, she knows exactly how difficult it is to remain at that level of superstardom. In the film, she plays Elisabeth Sparkle, a Hollywood star who is being pushed aside because of her age. An obnoxious executive named Harvey (hmm… a shout out to Harvey Weinstein??), played by a cartoonish Dennis Quaid, says the industry wants their stars “young and hot.” When Elisabeth gets wind of a new “substance” that can bring out a younger version of herself, she goes for it – in spite of all of the warning signs we see and feel as we watch her embark on her journey.
Eventually a younger version does “emerge” in the form of Margaret Qualley, calling that version of Elisabeth “Sue.” Each is only allowed to be their other selves for seven days at a time. Therein lies a series of conflicts as the constant lure of remaining young overtakes Elisabeth’s psyche.
The film received a lot of attention coming out of the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, with writer/director Coralie Fargeat winning the award for Best Screenplay and Demi Moore garnering serious praise and Oscar talk for her lead role. The screenplay is an interesting study because it leaves out a lot of logic that we must suspend in favor of the more plot driven elements often found in science fiction and horror genre films. Viewers shouldn’t ask a lot of questions about any specific scientific realities here. Another version of this film would reveal more details about the experimentation being done, what the company is that is developing it, and how a character like Elisabeth might try to rationalize it with people in her life. However, it works rather well to not include such details and instead take the audience along on the ride of these two characters, a ride that is pretty impressive and disturbing.
Demi Moore is deserved of all of the attention she has received for this performance. Much of her part is silent, so her expressive non-verbals are a key to many of her early scenes. What she does is not only well-modulated but extremely brave as her aging is often clearly on display through numerous close-ups. She still looks absolutely amazing though. But then that is the problem with Hollywood: it wants women to stay young looking while constantly trying to find those that are “younger and hotter.” Make no mistake though, if you were a fan of Moore from her earlier career, you’ll likely agree that she’s great in the film but you might be turned off by what she has to go through. This is NOT a film for the squeamish! There are high doses of body horror on screen for large chunks of the film. Most of it is pretty necessary to tell this story. The last half hour does go a bit over the top which is effective dramatically and visually but takes the viewer further than perhaps they need to go.
Every technical element of the film though is top notch. The music score is very intense and foreboding. The production design includes large, modern spaces that suggest how alone Elisabeth is. Some of these reminded me of the sparse sets found in the brilliant AppleTV+ series, Severance. The cinematography in The Substance captures these settings with long shots that provide an expansive view of Elisabeth’s life which appears very cold and impersonal, with constant reminders of her younger self. The make-up and visual effects need serious Oscar consideration as well. It is hard to forget the gruesomeness that is created throughout the film, effectively turning Elisabeth and Sue into variations of a monster.
Watching it, I was reminded of several films including Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream. In that classic, Ellen Burstyn is transformed into a very dark version of her character’s self in part of due to drugs and a similar desire to remain young. There’s an obsession with youthful beauty that is a part of both Burstyn and Moore’s characters in these films. Other influences here seem to be Brian De Palma’s Carrie, David Lynch’s The Elephant Man, and Ridley Scott’s Alien. I’ll even throw in the great disasters associated with science found in James Whales’ Frankenstein films. These are all great works and The Substance stands on its own as a very effective commentary on how difficult it is to age gracefully in Hollywood and how people turn to the latest crazes to remain young, beautiful, and wanted.
The Substance is still playing in limited release but is now also available to view on MUBI and to rent/purchase on Amazon Prime Video.