THE DEBUT was my most anticipated film at TIFF this year. Anything with Julianne Moore is going to rise to the top of my list, but hearing the Telluride Film Festival buzz that this is one of her best performances yet made me extra excited. Written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, this film is a comedic (and at times zany) laugh-out-loud character study centered around a woman trying to rediscover her voice. No surprise, Moore is absolutely sensational playing what may be her most difficult role yet—a bad actor.
They say there are no small parts, only small actors. At least that’s what Mona (Moore) tells herself when she sets out to audition for the “tertiary” character, Miss Danielle, in her community’s local musical theater production. Mona is trying to find a way to reclaim her voice and identity after decades of being caught up in her roles as wife and mother. When the company’s big star drops out for another opportunity, the production’s director Jerry (Paul Giamatti) calls the only other person that auditioned, Mona, to come in and take her place. Initially, Mona struggles to come out of her shell. But thanks to an outpouring of support from her cast mates and some doses of tough love from Jerry, Mona begins to find herself again.
THE DEBUT’s script could have easily been a breezy story about a housewife’s introduction to an eclectic small town theater troupe which changes her life forever. But when you have Eisenberg at the helm, it becomes a lot more than that. He takes risks, experimenting with creating a familiar, lived-in world that also has some edge and mystery. Eisenberg takes what could have been a very predictable third act and turns it into something more :ahem: surprising and off-kilter. I’m not sure that this choice will work for all viewers, but it does push the characters in more frenetic directions and lends itself to some pretty hilarious moments for Moore’s physical comedy. The fact Eisenberg wrote all of the songs for the film as well only adds to his brilliance.
Julianne Moore is one of the best actors working today. I have made it a point to see all of her films and this is one of my favorite performances of all time and easily one of her best, which is a testament to her enormous talent. It is pretty much a guarantee that this role will earn her a sixth Best Actress Oscar nomination, and I think the race is hers to lose at this point. Eisenberg also deserves major credit for writing an incredibly meaty role with an enormous character arc that gives Moore a lot to work with. She goes from a timid, downtrodden housewife to a bawdy character actor that loves to talk about her “craft” and what’s “real” in her performance. The funny part is, this same conversation about finding the truth and reality of a character finds a meta parallel in Moore’s performance. When Mona goes a little too far down the Daniel Day-Lewis method acting route and things start to veer into the crazy, Moore always made the character’s choices have an earnest authenticity that resonates; so much so, it reminds me of Lisa Kudrow’s performance as Valerie Cherish in THE COMEBACK.
We also can’t forget Paul Giamatti. Lesser actors would have gotten upstaged by Moore’s more showy performance, but not Giamatti. His chemistry with Moore is electric, jumping off the screen when they are together. He also stands out on his own, giving his stodgy character an air of sentimentality and empathy beneath the hard exterior that makes you understand why the cast is desperate for his approval. When Jerry chastises Mona, you feel it in your gut, but when he praises her, you will feel like you got a pat on the back too.
THE DEBUT is an entertaining and hilarious ode to the acting process and community theater. Besides Andy Cohen, no one explores housewives on the edge quite like Julianne Moore, and her performance as Mona is nothing short of lightning in a bottle. Though some may be surprised by the more absurdist plot elements, Eisenberg and Moore are operating without guardrails, making the film feel unpredictable and downright exhilarating.
Movie Review: A-