Comeback queen Demi Moore has always been here: Fargeat

Demi Moore’s Golden Globe best actress win for “The Substance” has, almost overnight, transformed the 1990s megastar into a seemingly unlikely favourite for the Oscars. In her acceptance speech on Sunday, the 62-year-old — who once generated headlines as much for her love life and Vanity Fair covers as for her hit films — said she had long been dismissed as a “popcorn actress,” and had never “won anything as an actor.” But for Coralie Fargeat, the French director who also wrote Moore’s new, blood-drenched body horror film, there is nothing surprising about the late-career reappraisal her leading lady is now enjoying.

“It was so moving to see Demi on that stage,” Fargeat said, the morning after Moore’s big win. The movie allowed audiences “to see who she is as an actress, and not project any more the stereotype that if you’re beautiful, you can’t be a good actress.” “It is being called a comeback. But she has always been here,” Fargeat added.

Society’s obsession with pigeonholing and pinning expiration dates on women is the core premise of “The Substance.” In the film, globally distributed by MUBI, Moore’s character Elisabeth is a fading movie star, who is abruptly fired from her hit TV fitness show as she turns 50. Out of desperation, she injects herself with a mysterious serum which allows her to live in a younger version of her body — as long as she returns to her older form every week.

Inevitably, the allure of remaining young proves too strong, especially after Elisabeth’s stunningly youthful alter ego is catapulted to fame by creepy male executives. Fargeat had long been a fan of Moore’s acting work, which included hits like “Indecent Proposal” and “Ghost,” as well as more divisive fare like “G.I. Jane.”

“I could like or not like the movies, but I think she always delivered pretty great performances,” said the director. But Moore’s real-life career also incarnated “this iconic star” represented by her character in “The Substance.” “Someone who has been totally valued for this dream, this fake promise that if you’re young, beautiful, you’re going to be happy and successful,” said Fargeat.

“And when this goes away, it’s like all your life is going away.”

Even so, Moore’s pitch-perfect casting as Elisabeth nearly did not happen. Fargeat at first assumed Moore would not be interested in a role requiring extensive nudity and countless, grotesque scenes of gore and decay. But the director picked up a copy of Moore’s 2019 memoir “Inside Out,” which laid bare the actor’s battles with ageism and misogyny, as well as addiction, abuse and very public divorces.

“When I read her book, I really saw that she was ready to take the level of risk that the movie requested,” said Fargeat. Early conversations included the significant amount of unflinching and often unflattering nudity required by Fargeat’s vision. “The film is really about women’s bodies. I wanted to tell my stories [in] the flesh,” recalled Fargeat.

Fargeat also admits she was a demanding and meticulous director on set, requiring “a lot of takes.” Moore has spoken about losing 20 pounds (nine kilos) and contracting shingles due to the intense strain of filming, while co-star Margaret Qualley described being in the movie’s prosthetic suits as “torture” that triggered panic attacks.

“If the lead performance isn’t ready to go that far, the whole movie falls apart,” said Fargeat. Moore “took the risk to follow the vision of the movie... that’s very, very brave and courageous,” she said.

With the Globes win, more attention will come to “The Substance” — both from wider audiences, and Oscars voters, who are picking their final nominees on ballots due this week.

Fargeat herself could earn nods for best director and best original screenplay, and “The Substance” is tipped by many pundits to make the best picture list. But few would now bet against Moore for best actress.

“From the beginning, I believed that this can happen,” said Fargeat. “That’s what cinema is about — creating things that people are not expecting.” “I’m just immensely proud to have created this part.”

Agence France-Presse