Oscar Lesage – Movies of the Soul

Vampire Owl: What kind of substance would this be?

Vampire Bat: I am sure that this cannot be tea.

Vampire Owl: Well, tea is a substance.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that they are talking about some illegal substance.

Vampire Owl: There is a list related to that with killer names too.

Vampire Bat: I heard that there are vampires of substance.

Vampire Owl: Would they be related to this?

Vampire Bat: We cannot be sure about that.

Vampire Owl: This move still seems to be a very different in its approach.

Vampire Bat: Well, it was a much-appreciated movie, so we can trust it up to an extent.

[Gets a vegetable samosa and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), who has been one of the most wanted celebrities and models of her time, finds herself in a struggle and would soon be fired by her producer (Dennis Quaid) who finds her too old for the job that involves a lot of aerobics and exercise. She no longer has any role to play in Hollywood with everything that she had done in her youth immediately fading into an oblivion of forgetfulness, and the only people who seem to admire her are those classmates and old friends from a past when she used to look stunning in their eyes. She is distracted by these happenings, and crashes her crash, landing her in a hospital only to have a nurse provide her with a USB drive advertising an illegal drug known as “The Substance”, which comes with a promise of a much younger and more beautifully perfect version of oneself that aligns with the demands of the market around them. A killer body is indeed what she would need to rise like a phoenix from the ashes instead of descending into madness.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Desperate to get to her days of beauty and glory, she buys the drug and injects herself with it only to find a young naked young lady coming out of her body. This seemingly perfect nude body would be known by the name Sue (Margaret Qualley), and living within the new skin, she finds each part of her to be flawless. Even though the old body becomes inactive, the two bodies must switch consciousness every seven days, with the inactive body remaining unconscious and fed. Daily injections of stabilizer fluid taken from the original body is required for the new body to remain the same without losing its parts. Sue becomes very popular with her new body appreciated by everyone including Harvey, while her photos in swimwear and bra and panties become sensation and part of many billboards, magazine covers and cutouts. She is chosen to prepare for a grand programme which is to follow, but it is to be seen if the new body will work perfectly for the same.

The defence of The Substance :: There is a strange beauty about the movie, and it is not just about the charm of the leading cast who manages so well. There is the ideal vision of beauty, and then there is the attempt to maintain the same while bringing out the worst in the process. Both the leading actresses seem to have put a lot of effort in their respective avatars, not just with the performances, but also with their bodies, which deserves all the appreciation. The birth of the new body sequence is one grand spectacle with a fantastic work from Margaret Qualley which nobody needs to miss – each and every sequence involving both these actresses seem to bring out the best from both. The final moments, even though happening just as expected, makes an impact and ends the idea of temporary beauty really well. One watches that and is reminded of the consequences of being fake and focusing only on the outside beauty, seeking glory and appreciation all the time while losing one’s soul in the process.

The claws of flaw :: The movie remains a complicated one and defies logic as one would expect, with the world going into an allegory, leaving the reality behind, as if to keep a message running out there with enough strength at all times. The ending of the movie is too much predictable, and there is no innovation or class added to that, which is a shame. The idea could have been brought about more logically, maybe with the right science fiction or fantasy elements, but the movie has chosen to just use a drug status instead. Instead of just taking the new face and body to fame, a tale about the process could have also added, but the storyline never really has any focus here, with things just happening and nobody caring about a lot of things which happens around. Even a random vampire romance movie made for teens would focus more about the story and could force better logic out of nowhere to satisfy even the least bothered fans. With such an addition, this movie could have even had a fine sequel at some point.

The performers of the soul :: It is Margaret Qualley’s performance that sets this movie apart, from that naked rebirth and look at her own body, to living like a dream, her expressions make the happenings feel so real. When she takes a shower, her focus on her nude body becomes a reminder that it not hers, and that this perfection is not something that she deserves. The way she looks at herself and others is a reminder of how much she gets into the character. There might be not many other people who would suit these perfect looks, as there seems to be not even a blemish in her performance or the appearance. Demi Moore is not far behind in being shocked and pleasantly surprised at her own new appearance, and the naked other that stays unconscious on her, never failing to appreciate her own perfect body reborn as another. We remember some of those special movies of her, and she maintains that charm. Dennis Quaid makes different quick impacts during his existence as a deciding factor in the movie.

How it finishes :: The Substance is that kind of a movie which you can watch for the underlying message about beauty, while also going through the beautiful people whom you witness throughout the run and not in a flash, especially Margaret Qualley coming up with a performance that will charm and haunt the viewers for a long time. There is never losing the idea about what the movie intends to convey, even when the focus on storyline and logic is lost. Being a body horror comedy with that message which makes no innovation, this is not the movie for everyone, that much we can be sure about. But with the divergence surely there, this is a film which we can watch for the variety it brings, even with so much predictability hidden within. The movie has been a much appreciated one, and it becomes the duty of most movie lovers to check out the reason behind the same.

Release date: 20th September 2024
Running time: 92 minutes
Directed by: Coralie Fargeat
Starring: Margaret Qualley, Demi Moore, Dennis Quaid, Edward Hamilton-Clark, Gore Abrams, Oscar Lesage, Christian Erickson, Robin Greer, Tom Morton, Hugo Diego Garcia, Yann Bean

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Vampire Owl: Are they talking about that particular room in the north-east?

Vampire Bat: That can’t be the room these humans are talking about.

Vampire Owl: Are you sure? It is a room which we consider to be among the best in the Old Vampire World and the new one.

Vampire Bat: Yes, this is not a room of horror unlike what they think.

Vampire Owl: So, there is no Halloween attraction in the room

Vampire Bat: No, there is none at all.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that there are no evil clowns either.

Vampire Bat: Exactly, as this is a room of another kind.

Vampire Owl: Okay, then I will need to find the horror from inside.

Vampire Bat: After you watch this movie, maybe you can have a different kind of horror.

[Gets a chicken cutlet and three cups of masala tea].

What is the movie about? :: Kate (Olga Kurylenko) and Matt (Kevin Janssens) are a couple who moved to a new place in the countryside, and it was a large secluded manor which they had managed to buy only recently. As Matt is an artist and Kate a translator, they hoped to find a better career at this part of the world, while spending some time together without being bothered by anyone else, as they couldn’t have children despite the doctors saying that both of them are alright. After coming across certain electrical problems, they call an electrician who understands that the wiring in the home is a complicated mess of wires that runs through almost everywhere in the house, and he needs to work out an estimate and plans before starting to look for any possible problems in them. Before leaving, the electrician reminds Matt that the previous owners were murdered by an unknown man in the house, something which the couple never knew until then.

So, what happens with the events here? :: But this is not where the strange things about the house begins and ends, as it is a house which holds a mystery which nobody could explain. Matt finds out that the killer’s is given the random name of John Doe, and is now living in a mental asylum. Thinking about it, and unable to sleep, he sits in a room which they had discovered locked and hidden underneath the wallpaper, and wishes for a bottle of alcohol which he finds in front of him. Scared and confused, he moves away, but begins to ask for more including the historical paintings. Kate is surprised when she wakes up finding many expensive paintings in the newly discovered room, and when she wishes for a lot of money, she ends up finding them in the room. Even though Kate is initially reluctant, they begin a hedonistic life-style, staying all the time in house. But there is more than what meets the eye to the house, and as they cross the limits, there are consequences. Can they overcome the following troubles?

The defence of The Room :: The movie holds around seventy eight percent reviews at Rotten Tomatoes, which is clearly justified with the quality being maintained here. It effectively shows the dangers of getting whatever one wants, and what happens when you don’t understand the consequences of crossing the limits. The same is told in a tale of thrills and twists, with a certain amount of hidden horror being present at all times. Once upon a time, there was the magic lamp, there was the wishmaster, and now we have the room which takes the horror to a psychological level rather than keeping it direct. The result is that you are more disturbed with terror rather than being simply scared. You take this idea into your soul, and the message is strong. The psychological intensity is maintained by the movie very well, after a nice, fun-filled beginning which doesn’t seem to point to the terrible fate which is to come later. Olga Kurylenko with what might be her best performance so far, has you interested at all times.

Positive and negatives :: The Room doesn’t try to twist it too much, even when there was the chance. It could have been made more visually terrifying too, even though the setting is indeed scary in another way. It shows how things become complicated when you take the wrong decision regarding a child – the same you had seen in Brightburn and Pet Sematary which told you a few things about alien and undead children. But as William Golding had shown in Lord of the Flies, there are many more which children are capable of, even while staying within their innocence. Some people might not like the fact that there is no explanation regarding why all these are happening, for viewers might at least except a supernatural explanation related to magic, aliens, spirits or demons – but you have to remember that the idea itself is the explanation, as the same becomes the message. The Room is the movie which you just cannot ignore with its content.

Performers of the soul :: Olga Kurylenko stays at the heart and soul of this movie, like she has been for many other movies. She had a wonderful presence in Johnny English Strikes Again, and even more in Oblivion, with her being secondary focus, but in this case, she is the main member of the cast, the one who qualifies as the primary protagonist. Being the Bond girl in Quantum of Solace and acting in modern action movies like Hitman and Max Payne as well as the rather ancient fighting in Centurion, she has been best in those action movies, but she is not that far behind in drama and horror, as we see her excel in those emotional sequences. Whenever she is there she seems to give the best – Olga is one underrated actress whom we should be seeing in more movies. You can see that she excels in the emotional sequences here. Kevin Janssens as Matt matches up in a good number of sequences here.

How it finishes :: Among all the horror thrillers, The Room is different and special, and this is the feeling that you will have, no matter what kind of genre you prefer, and whatever type of horror you have your mind on. With a concept like this executed so well, you know that things are going to better as time progresses. Olga Kurylenko makes sure that it gets maximum effect. The Room also leaves you about a few things to ponder about, regarding what matters the most in life, and where one has to draw the line. It also has a message about human greed, and how they are not able to stop, when luxuries are poured on them. We also have the idea of inherent evil in man at work here. The Room needed to have its elements at the right place to have this working at the exact level, and we see that the movie has managed to do that just fine. The Room is a film which is lesser known, and it deserves to be watch for making everything count.

Release date: 15th April 2019
Running time: 100 minutes
Directed by: Christian Volckman
Starring: Olga Kurylenko, Kevin Janssens, Carole Weyers, Marianne Bourg, John Flanders, Joshua Wilson, Francis Chapman, Vince Drews, Oscar Lesage, Michael Kahya