Two new films seem to be in dialogue: In The Substance, Demi Moore is a Hollywood star chasing eternal youth. The dark comedy A Different Man centers on a New Yorker with a rare genetic condition.
Sometimes, by strange coincidence, two movies open the same week that don’t just have a thing or two in common; they’re so locked into the same themes and concepts that it’s as if they’re having a conversation with each other. If you have five or so hours to spare and a reasonably strong stomach, I’d recommend a double bill ofplays Elisabeth Sparkle, who’s just been let go from her longtime job hosting a TV fitness show.
Elisabeth orders herself a Substance starter kit, the use of which has to be seen to be believed: Let’s just say it involves a lot of fluids, syringes and stitches, and by the end of it, Elisabeth finds herself in the body of a 20-something.Now played by Margaret Qualley, she soon becomes the talk of the town and even lands her old TV-host job. But there’s a big catch: Elisabeth must return to her original body at regular intervals so that her new body can rest.
Edward's unusual appearance draws rude stares in public, and he leads a pretty low-key, isolated existence. But then, two things happen. First, Edward falls in love with his next-door neighbor, Ingrid — that’s— an aspiring playwright who seems to take a creative interest in his condition. Second, Edward undergoes an experimental drug treatment that proves miraculously successful; his tumors fall away, revealing the taut skin and chiseled features of the actor Sebastian Stan.
And then Schimberg unleashes his masterstroke, ushering in a new character played by the British actor Adam Pearson, who has neurofibromatosis himself. The less said about what happens the better; suffice to say that Pearson gives a witty, effusively charming performance that sends the movie in a thrilling new direction. He makes a fine foil for the terrific Stan, who’s quietly implosive as a guy who realizes the dangers of getting what he wished for.is up to.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
See 'The Substance' and 'A Different Man' together for a major makeover meditationTwo new films seem to be in dialogue: In The Substance, Demi Moore is a Hollywood star chasing eternal youth. The dark comedy A Different Man centers on a New Yorker with a rare genetic condition.
Read more »
How “A Different Man” and “The Substance” Get Under the SkinJustin Chang reviews Aaron Schimberg’s “A Different Man,” starring Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson, and Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance,” starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley.
Read more »
Review: Sebastian Stan gives award-caliber performance as a struggling actor in 'A Different Man'Stan plays an actor who reinvents himself in search of a new life.
Read more »
'A Different Man' Star Adam Pearson Says His Facial Disfigurement 'Opened Doors' (Exclusive)British actor Adam Pearson, 49, who lives with neurofibromatosis type 1, says that his facial disfigurement has 'opened doors' for him. Now he wants to hold the door open for others with disabilities, and says Hollywood needs to do better at telling their stories.
Read more »
'A Different Man' review: Provocative story gets under the skinImagine you could wake up one morning, stand at the mirror, and literally peel off any part of your looks you don’t like — with only movie-star beauty remaining.
Read more »
Meet the makeup wizard who transformed Sebastian Stan into ‘A Different Man’Oscar-nominated makeup artist Mike Marino used groundbreaking prosthetics in collaboration with the actor Sebastian Stan for A24’s “A Different Man.'
Read more »