"Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself?" (V.O. on repeat via Elisabeth's inward thinking about her future beyond her fifties).
WINNER: Best Screenplay (Coraliie Fargeat) Cannes FF (2024).
Should a film, so brilliantly conceived and performed have such a long and bizarre conclusion that its message flails? Probably not. It diluted my enjoyment of THE SUBSTANCE (TS), however.
"Careful what you wish for" has great gravitas in the world of film-making. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946), a post war classic, created a never forgotten life lesson. Well, don't expect themes of empathy from THE SUBSTANCE. When aging star, Elisabeth Sparkle, (Demi Moore) is offered the opportunity to transform herself into a reinvigorated 20's version of herself, via strange and bizarre chemical injections; buyer beware.
We know the answer, and so the Qualley/Moore chemistry is the key to TS. We know early on that we are about to witness a "car crash". And what a car-crash it is in this fantasy to salute to vanity!! 9GUMS.
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