Carolina De La Rocque
Comic Watch had the pleasure to attend an advanced screening of Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut, coming to theatres this December. Julianne Moore (Oscar winner and four-time nominee) and Paul Giamatti (two-time Oscar nominee) star in the unexpected journey of a woman that “transforms from a shy, unassuming housewife into a zealous method actor willing to do anything to protect the artistic integrity of her marginal role — even if it means waging war against the show’s domineering director.”
The Debut is comical in its premise and bold in the way it sustains it through the film’s absurd events. Very clearly produced through A24’s standards, the film is a twisted love letter to community theatre. Moore and Giamatti shine as Mona and Jerry in an unusual actress-director relationship, which works well overall and brilliantly in specific scenes. One of the film’s best scenes happens when Jerry has Mona beg for a prop he is holding and repeatedly asking why she wants it — it represents the exact moment she becomes an actress, as she is feeling all the character’s emotions in a breathtaking and hysterical monologue.
It shines a light on all that can come out of Method Acting and just how much it can affect the person behind the character. The Debut takes unexpected turns and ultimately concludes that Mona found herself through these people and this community. It is definitely a must-watch with a crowd that will surely laugh as hysterically as the one in the VIFF opening night did.
