TIFF: “THE SUBSTANCE”

This is a new limited series entitled “Debbie & Elizabeth at the Movies.”Elizabeth is my cinema companion & collaborating cousin from Montreal who met me in Toronto to experience our first TIFF together– which is the abbreviated version of the Toronto International Film Festival.  Which I’m certain most people are now very familiar with.

So let’s start with a movie that will be released in theatres on September 20^th.  It’s called “THE SUBSTANCE” – starring Demi Moore in her much anticipated movie comeback role. 

Moore portrays a fading Hollywood star named  Elizabeth Sparkle alongside Margaret Qualley (from the TV series “Maid” where she starred with her  mom, Andie MacDowell).  Both Moore & Qualley are outstanding in their respective roles.  Dennis Quaid; who’s having a movie moment, we can both agree, played a larger than life slimeball in this masterful horror-satire from writer-director Coralie Fargeat (Revenge).

A little bit of sad movie trivia is that Ray Liotta apparently was cast in the film in February 2022. He died in May that year before he could film his scenes. Dennis Quaid replaced him as a result. However sad that is, Quaid did a superb job.

There’s a lot to say about this movie and quite frankly, not sure where to start.

We could just leave it at one sentence “be careful what you wish for; you just might get it.” But that wouldn’t be enough. 

We could say “if you were given an opportunity to become a younger (emphasis on “younger,” more perfect (but what does that really mean?) version of yourself,  with let’s say a downside where you weren’t exactly sure what to expect because instructions were a bit vague – would you go for it? 

This movie is mesmerizing and many call it a Masterpiece. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and TIFF was the North American Premiere, just few days ago.

It’s IN YOUR FACE.  It’s OVER THE TOP.  It’s INTENSE.  But it’s also BRILLIANT.

It confirms that you make your choices and you live with the consequences – good and BAD.

We now know what the disclaimer at the start of the film *photo sensitive means.

This movie is a real symbol of substance abuse of a different nature.  An over exaggeration of so many things.  Starting with today’s obsession with looking youthful for as long as humanly possible.  Not to mention what lengths we will go to in order to obtain it.

There are a lot of movies wrapped up in one very long package here.  A few that comes to mind:

The Shining, The Matrix, The Terminator, Sunset Boulevard, Alien, Jane Fonda’s Workout and Batman (but really Gotham City in the Batman movies).

And lastly: remember; you are one person.  You can’t escape yourself.

https://tiff.net/