The Substance * * * *

When being middle aged and beautiful isn't good enough.

Here's a film that is causing a bit of a stir, with some critics saying it's the most stomach turning, grossest thing they have seen in years.  All I can say to them is "Toughen up!" Gee, it's not that bad.  

When it comes to body horror it's certainly no more confrontational than some of the films of  David Cronenberg.  Not to mention Neon Demon.  And even the recent Abigail used up its fair share of theater blood.  (Though I did read that in the making of The Substance they ran out of theatre blood a few times).  

And two other recent films from another female French director (Julia Ducournau) Raw and Titane easily compete in the body shock stakes. The director of The Substance, Coralie Fargeat is also French.  Hmmmm....what is it with these French women directors and gore?  

This is Fargeat's second feature after her highly regarded (and very bloody) Revenge.  With The Substance she has chosen to shoot it in English and set it in America.

Anyway, let's put all the shock and splatter stuff aside, after all they're just devices.  It's the story and the telling of it that matters. And the story in The Substance is good with a strong message, superbly and originally directed. The extraordinary camerawork and perspectives almost tells a story in itself.  Expect extreme close ups of needles, knives and impact moments. 

Elizabeth Sparkle was a celebrated actress, but we don't see her glory days. We see her today, in her fifties and trying to fight her ageing.  She has a morning television aerobics show and the older she gets the lower the ratings are getting.  She is played by Demi Moore in a powerhouse performance that ironically (contrary to the message of the film) proves that in real life an actress can have more to offer as she matures than when she was a young hottie.  

Elizabeth lives alone in an exquisite sky high apartment and is seemingly friendless.

Studio executive Harvey is played with great relish by Dennis Quaid.  Sure he's a parody with his loud suits, cigars, greed and vulgarity but he does it well.  Watching him work his way through a large plate of prawns with close ups of his mouth is a telling scene, even if it ain't pretty!

After visiting a hospital following a car accident, a male nurse passes a USB key to Elizabeth "in case she is interested".  

Elizabeth gets the axe from her show. At home and feeling despondent, she watches the USB.  It's a small video about "The Substance".   Intrigued (or desparate?) Elizabeth follows through. We watch her collect the package from a bad and ugly area of town.  (All stylised in tone with the rest of the film).

"The Substance" is a product that not only returns your youth but makes you look better and more beautiful than ever.  But the catch is, you can only enjoy it for seven days, then you must return to your old being for seven days. Seven days as one, then seven days as the other. Don't mess with the formula and don't even think about missing a day or trying to extend it!

The thing is, the "youthful" you is literally another being. It's another body, so that whilst Elizabeth is out and about being young she has to leave the body of old Elizabeth at home. How is this youthful other body created?  Prepare yourself for gross-out scene number one as it emerges from Elizabeth, wet, slimey, bloody, tearing at flesh, leaving organs and bones exposed.  

But what emerges from  Elizabeth is a young woman as beautiful and physically perfect as Margaret Qualley.  That's because it is Margaret Qualley. She plays Sue who is the youthful Elizabeth Sparkle. Naked and blood soaked, Sue's first job is to sew up the enormous birth gash in old Elizabeth and then put Elizabeth on a life support system whilst she goes off to enjoy her seven days of youth.

One thing Sue knows is that she would be an ideal candidate for the job that Elizabeth just got sacked from.  She's right.  Harvey, the studio executive loves her.  And so do we:  She shines like a true star. Margaret Qualley gives a generous and fearless performance.  The camera literally caresses her body.  (You sense there was a lot of trust between the two leads and the director in the making of this film).

So now it's seven days of Elizabeth and  seven days of Sue, until greedy little Sue decides she'd like to extend her time.  The consequences for Elizabeth are dire with extreme ageing.  And so the divided self commences a conflict even though she had been warned, "Remember you are one person."

With literary nods to The Picture of Dorian Gray and Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the story of The Substance might also remind you of a few other films.  But most importantly it's a powerful story on our obsession with  beauty; beauty as a currency, and the shaming and rejection of those who do what we all must do - grow older!

Other than the necessary horror of witnessing her final mutation, for me, the end was unnecessarily extreme and disappointing; just pushing it a little bit too far. You'll never see so much blood. Unfortunately I found myself laughing at it rather than being shocked or anything else.  But overall the strengths of this film far outweigh any weakness'. 

Despite all the gore and shock scenes, I am sure I won't be the only one to say the most powerful scene is Elizabeth preparing to go on a date.  Judging her ageing self over and over as she stands in front of a mirror. It's heartbreaking, and an unforgettable performance from Demi Moore.