PLOT: A bored housewife (Julianne Moore), who is ignored by her husband and grown children, auditions for a community theater production under an intense director (Paul Giamatti).
REVIEW: Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain proved to be a major breakout for him as a director, but his follow-up, The Debut, is—if anything—even more ambitious. Judging from the rapturous reception it received at both Telluride and now the Toronto International Film Festival, it should further establish his reputation. It will also likely end up winning Julianne Moore her second Oscar, with her comedic performance a true tour de force. Even at a screening for the usually reserved press, a few of her mic-drop moments ended up winning big rounds of applause.
Moore is charming as Mona Friedman, who auditions for Giamatti’s Jerry on a whim and winds up winning a big role when the diva hired to play the part (a cameo by Bernadette Peters) walks. She’s never acted before, but she’s warmly greeted by her community theater colleagues, who treat their craft with reverence, even if it’s only going to be performed a handful of times in their Jersey suburb. They treat it like they’re going to Broadway. A dilettante without any acting skill, Mona is taken under Jerry’s wing, with him tearing her down and building her back up into an actor, awakening a passionate love for the craft that gives her life new meaning.
The Debut is a lovely story about how you can find your passion anywhere and at any point in your life, with Moore’s growing love for the theater and her part proving infectious. Never mind that the play is a deliberately cheesy riff on nineties Broadway, with Eisenberg himself having written the music and lyrics (he also plays a small role). To her, the part she’s playing—a building super in an apartment building full of lonely hearts in New York City—is all-consuming.
Moore is incredible as Mona, with us seeing her go from being a cheery newcomer unused to having anyone actually listen to her (she’s taken for granted at home) to becoming a showstopping diva, constantly at odds with Jerry over the reality of her part. Giamatti plays off her beautifully as the intense but ultimately kind Jerry, although Eisenberg does occasionally allow the knives to come out, such as when he delivers a punishing tirade on egomaniacal actors. The two play off each other in a masterful way, with a scene where he has her do an exercise in character, in which she has to demand that he “pay the rent” without saying those words, potentially becoming a classic.
Eisenberg has also made his cast of characters an affectionate bunch, with everyone getting their moment to shine, such as Halle Bailey as the show’s ingenue lead, K. Todd Freeman as the show’s musical director, and Eldar Isgandarov (who’s also really funny in Club Kid, which is also playing TIFF) as Jerry’s eager-to-please assistant. Eisenberg directs with a sure hand, with the film funny and sentimental without being saccharine or clichéd. More than anything, though, he seems to relish the performances he’s getting from Giamatti and—especially—Moore, and both deliver performances that rank with their best work. Typically, the Academy only rewards harsh, dramatic work, but this shows just how incredible lighthearted, comedic performances can be, and it’s a showstopping showcase for Moore.
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