Film Talk: Moore More Than Ever As Demi Steals the Screen in The Substance

Once the highest-paid actress in the world, Demi Moore dominated the ’90s with box office hits like Ghost, A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal and, of course, Striptease (for which she earned an unprecedented $12.5 million – not bad for 1996).

While the new millennium has seen a dearth of leading roles, Demi’s brilliance has not been to be squandered, and this week’s favorite proves she still has plenty to offer Moore (…sorry).

At the forefront of the hotly anticipated film, once again, the former Mrs. Bruce Willis leads the cast in The Substance — a twisted but compelling reimagining of The Picture of Dorian Gray that would no doubt send shivers down Oscar Wilde’s spine. But while she may be big and responsible for what is arguably the best performance of her life, Ms. Moore is not alone in this.

Margaret Qualley, perfectly cast as the younger version of the former GI Jane, steps into the ring with incredible confidence.

The star of the critically acclaimed Netflix miniseries Maid and a compelling supporting actress in Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Qualley has long proven to be a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood, and she does just that well this time around.

Still, it’s safe to say that we see her and Moore like never before in this film, and those of us who are more squeamish should be prepared.

Well, people, you’ve been warned… If you’re still with us, you’re going to love this. Time to dive into one of the most bloody and dazzling experiences of the year… Let’s get to it…

SUBSTANCE (UK 18/ROI 16, 141 mins)

Released: September 20 (UK & Ireland)

Pretty girls should always smile. So says a lecherous male TV executive to an ambitious female starlet in Coralie Fargeat’s macabre body horror.

His words reflect an unhealthy and unrealistic fascination with youthful beauty in the entertainment industry, which forces some performers to undergo cosmetic procedures to temporarily delay the aging process and prolong their 15 minutes of fame by a few precious seconds.

The Substance gleefully pokes fun at the objectification of the female body and uncompromising sexism in the film industry, transforming the harsh teachings of The Picture of Dorian Gray into a futuristic feminist parable.

Oscar Wilde’s late 19th-century novel had its libertarian titular hero sell his soul to remain forever young and hedonistic while his portrait aged and revealed physical signs of his sinfulness and depravity.

In Fargeat’s hallucinogenic dream, a jilted actress, played by Demi Moore, gives birth to a younger version of herself and shares her existence with it until a brazen ambition irreversibly poisons the symbiotic relationship.

Moore’s gripping performance energizes the brutal scenes and provides the emotional glue for the film’s wild and controversial finale.

Admirably, Fargeat doesn’t let up as her film builds to a scandalously bloody climax, which fully justifies the censors’ warnings about brutal scenes of violence and gore.

Award-winning Hollywood star Elisabeth Sparkle (Moore) has found a new calling – she has become a Jane Fonda-style home fitness guru, dressed in a tight leotard and leggings.

Each week, as the host of Sparkle Your Life, she encourages viewers to work out and exercise with her.

After taping one special, obnoxious television executive Harvey (Dennis Quaid) terminated her contract, claiming that consumers were “always demanding something new” and that didn’t apply to 50-year-old Elisabeth.

Stuck in an industry that values ​​flawless beauty and vigor, Elisabeth is encouraged to try a DIY medical procedure called The Substance.

One injection of the green activator serum is expected to unlock Elisabeth’s DNA and release another version of herself: a younger, more agile Sue (Margaret Qualley), who will crawl out of Elisabeth’s body and stitch up her broken spine.

Elisabeth and Sue must alternate between spending seven days enjoying life in Hollywood or lying on the cold bathroom floor and receiving food through an IV drip.

They cannot deviate from this perfect balance.

When Sue selfishly overstays her welcome, Elisabeth suffers serious consequences and sows within herself a seed of resentment towards her other self.

The Substance spares neither its characters nor us as Elisabeth’s failed bid for longevity descends into nauseating delirium.

Moore and Qualley are not afraid of anything, both willingly showing themselves naked to explore every unflattering side of their reflection in the mirror.

Special effects designer Pierre-Olivier Persin works wonders on the film’s second half, which brings to mind the cloying excesses of Brian Yuzna’s 1989 cult horror film The Society.

Beauty trills with brutality, and the showdown takes a dazzlingly ugly turn.

200% WOLF (UK U/ROI G, 98 minutes)

Released: September 20 (UK & Ireland)

Every dog ​​has its day, including a werewolf trapped in the body of a white toy poodle in this messy sequel to director Alexs Stadermann’s life-affirming, computer-animated adventure, based on the books by Liverpool children’s author Jayne Lyons.

Returning writer Fin Edquist swaps the Lion King-style coming-of-age of the first film for an otherworldly escapade filled with a mischievous moon spirit whose crazy mannerisms are reminiscent of Disney’s alien Stitch, and a witch antagonist cosmetically enhanced from Madam Mim from The Sword in the Stone.

The humor is universal and appeals to young audiences.

In this way, the self-proclaimed guide dog begs his brethren to follow his example and quickly escape the city’s sewers by grabbing one end of a fully extended dog leash and pressing a button on the earpiece to swim to the surface.

“200% Wolf” is a shaggier dog tale than its predecessor, with characters completing parallel side quests to extend the running time and justify the addition of adorable creatures, including a giant purple bat who wants to fetch detached mushrooms.

Jennifer Saunders savors every generously elongated vowel of her cackling villainess, who uses dark earth magic to satisfy her hunger for power and transform innocent bystanders into monsters called Whoopsies.

Fearful and self-conscious werewolf Freddy Lupin (voiced by Ilai Swindells) trains hard to replace his father Flasheart (Peter McCallum) as howler of the Wilford wolf pack, but he is not ready for the task.

The other wolves openly question Freddy’s abilities, as his large heart is trapped in the body of a stuffed dog with a crown of bright pink hair.

His distinctive physical appearance makes him a liability during covert night missions.

“How will they respect me if they don’t see that I’m successful?” Freddy scolds his father.

In a fit of rage, Freddy finds the ancient Summoning Stone on Wolf Rock and calls upon the moon spirits to hasten his rise to greatness.

The Mother Moon Spirit (Sarah Georgina) and the elders ignore his request, but the mischievous baby moon spirit Moopoo (Elizabeth Nabben) is moved by Freddy’s prayer and summons enough energy to transform the young trickster into a full-fledged werewolf.

The spell casts Moopoo to Earth, where the celestial being’s inner light begins to fade.

To save Moopoo, Freddy vows to find the outcast wolf Max (Saunders), accompanied by his best friend Batty (Samara Weaving) and a dog troop consisting of Twitchy (Sarah Harper), Bruno (Alexs Stadermann) and Hamish (Akmal Saleh).

200% Wolf promises twice the fun, but Stadermann’s sequel is too light to leave a lasting impression beyond the superficial level.

The bold and colorful visuals emphasize the linearity of the story, while the solid vocal cast allows Saunders to brazenly steal scenes with her hilarious theatrics.

As fur flies, violence becomes cartoonish, and subtlety howls enthusiastically at the moon.

THE GOLDMAN CASE (UK 12A/ROI 12A, 116 min)

Premiere: September 20 (UK & Ireland, selected cinemas)

Director Cedric Kahn stages the appeal hearing of far-left Jewish activist Pierre Goldman, sentenced to life in prison for four armed robberies, one of which resulted in the deaths of two people.

The Goldman Case was co-authored by Kahn and Nathalie Hertzberg, and is based largely on documentary research. The book begins in November 1975.

Goldman (Arieh Worthalter) pleads not guilty to murder at a trial in Paris, in full view of the media.

His relationship with young lawyer Georges Kiejman (Arthur Harari) noticeably deteriorates as coverage of the case transforms Goldman into a deeply romantic martyr of the intellectual left.

The revolutionary continues his agitation, and Goldman risks the death penalty by throwing his own trial into chaos.