THE SUBSTANCE
Theatrical release: November 6, 2024
Duration: 2h20
Director: Coralie Fargeat
Main actors: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid
Synopsis: Elizabeth Sparkle, a former star turned aerobics show host, loses her job because of her age. Following this ordeal, she discovers a miraculous substance that allows her to create a younger version of herself named Sue, with whom she must alternate her existence for seven-day periods.
There are films that give you the impression of a unique cinematic experience, that offer you another reading of a well-known societal phenomenon: the cult of the body. The new film by Coralie Fargeat, offers this singular and disturbing vision at the same time.
Through a gripping cinematic experience, the director deconstructs our collective obsession with physical perfection and offers a new perspective on this societal phenomenon. Her unique visual approach transforms a familiar subject into a work that disrupts our usual perceptions, using the prism of the 80s fitness industry as a mirror of our contemporary societies.
The aerobics sequences are filmed with occasional close-ups of certain parts of Sue's body, showing how superb her body is. In fact, these shots are reminiscent of perfume advertisements as the camera revolves around the actress with a polished aesthetic. The director skillfully uses a pulsating electronic soundtrack to accompany these close-ups, creating an atmosphere that is both glamorous and slightly disturbing.
The leitmotif "the best version of yourself" that resonates throughout the film like a toxic mantra, is also used in everyday life by some life coaches to tell their clients that you have to be perfect to succeed in life. Perfect in excellence, with the goal of the cult of beauty as the only criterion for success. This is also quite well shown in the film through the character of Dennis Quaid who seeks to renew the main presenter of an Aerobics show, finding her too old.
At 61, Demi Moore delivers an intense physical and emotional performance, courageously questioning the beauty standards imposed on women in the entertainment industry.
The film gradually falls into the tradition of body horror, the favorite style of David CronenbergLou's physical transformation, at first subtle and then increasingly disturbing, illustrates the dangers of a society that pushes women to extremes to maintain an appearance of eternal youth.
The excessive length of 2h25 constitutes the major weak point of the film. If the whole is mastered, there are one or two scenes at the end of the film that could have been cut from the editing. The final sequence, for its part, is particularly evocative: it accurately depicts our progressive erasure in a society where visibility is ephemeral.
