Jesse Eisenberg made his directorial debut with When You Finish Saving the World in 2022, a film that came and went with little fanfare. His follow up A Real Pain was a critical hit and won Kieran Culkin an Oscar. His latest film, The Debut, continues his ascendance as a filmmaker and marks a clear step up from an already strong sophomore effort. The film premiered to glowing reviews at Telluride earlier this month, only to head to TIFF and completely blow the roof off of the Princess of Wales theatre.
The Debut follows Julianne Moore as Mona, an unassuming suburban housewife who auditions for a musical at a local community theatre. When she is eventually cast and put up against the intense director Jerry (Paul Giamatti), she throws herself headfirst into the small role. As she dedicates herself to the character, she goes from an innocuous first timer to a woman on a warpath as she pours every bit of herself into the show, often to detriment of those around her.
While Eisenberg's writing and direction is excellent here, this film hinges largely on the performance from Julianne Moore. Admittedly I've never been the biggest fan of hers, but this is a performance that left me in absolute awe. Her commitment to the role is astonishing, and the way she embodies the character's growth feels truly authentic. The performance is only heightened by how well she plays off of Giamatti. Giamatti is fantastic in a role it feels like we've seen him play before, but the way these two bounce off of one another is just an absolute delight. One scene in particular which sees Mona in a one on one rehearsal with Jerry is one of the greatest acting showcases I've ever seen with the two going back and forth like a tennis match with some fantastic dialogue.
Eisenberg's writing seems to have really hit its stride here. A Real Pain did an excellent job of blending comedy and drama, but this is simply one of the funniest screenplays I can think of in recent memory. The dialogue is constantly pitch perfect, but small physical character beats throughout give an added comedic depth to everything being said. My biggest complaint with the screenplay is that it was occaisonally hard to hear funny moments due to how hard everyone around me was already laughing. Eisenberg's direction is also working in unison with his great script, delivering comedic beats with brilliant timing and giving the film a pace that allows the audience to have fun while still leaving time for emotional moments to ring true. When looking at Eisenberg's work on the film you also have to factor in the soundtrack, which features a handful of original songs by the writer/director himself that beautifully encapsulate the tone of this kind of theatre.
I wish the ending punched a liiiittle bit more of a punch, and there are supporting actors I wish we got to see more of, but this is pretty close to perfect. It's a love letter to theatre brought to life with a beautiful script and some cozily nostalgic visuals, all tied together with a showstopping performance from Juliane Moore. This one is a must see when it comes out this December. 4.5/5
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