“This is my real world.”
The Academy Awards have come and gone and we are still living in a world where Demi Moore doesn’t have an Oscar. The actress had come closer than ever this past year with her turn as Elizabeth Sparkle in the dark comedy/body horror tale, The Substance. With the kind of buzz she hadn’t enjoyed since her breakout role in Ghost some 25 years earlier, and with a list of accolades as long as your arm, the Oscar was hers to lose, which she sadly did.
Even after all of the hoopla and acclaim that The Substance brought, it cannot be overstated just what the film did for Moore. The film challenged her in ways that were compelling to behold from the physical aspects to the raw emotions she was called upon to supply. Elizabeth’s scene in the mirror where she was tearing apart at her face touched a nerve within all who saw it and showed a side of the actress that many never knew existed.
For some, The Substance was a comeback for Moore, the dreaded word used when people assume an actor/actress has been away from the business when most times they were just turning out projects that got very little fanfare. This was certainly the case with Moore, who in between her high-profile turn in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle and later visibility with a role on Empire and an insightful 2019 memoir, turned in high-quality work in an eclectic lineup of films.
In honor of the reappraisal Moore has gotten as an actress in the wake of The Substance, I thought it was worth revisiting some of those films that spotlight not just her draw towards different kinds of projects, but her eternally underestimated versatility as an actress.
Bobby
Emilio Estevez turned to writing and directing for his passion project about a day in the life of the men and women at Los Angeles’ Ambassador Hotel as they prepare for a visit from Bobby Kennedy on that fateful day in 1968. Acclaimed upon release in 2006, Bobby offered audiences a great snapshot of the late 60s that spoke to the mood of the country and its many tensions. A standout among them was Moore as Virginia, a one-time movie star who has spiraled into alcoholism and can barely get it together to perform at that night’s event. Her monologue as she’s getting ready sees her consumed by great pain and self-loathing before summoning up the strength to take the stage for a stunning rendition of “Louie Louie.”
Mr. Brooks
Moore hasn’t taken on too many outwardly commercial films in recent years, preferring to stick more to the indie and arthouse scene. One exception was this 2007 thriller that starred Kevin Costner as a family man/serial killer and the Police Detective (Moore) determined to catch him. Detective Tracy Atwood was a jolt of a role that afforded Moore a rare female lead turn in a wide-release feature. It also just so happens that the character is worthy of her talents. Besides trying to capture a serial killer, Tracy has to contend with a messy divorce and the return of a criminal she helped put away years ago. But the best aspect of the movie is the cat-and-mouse dynamic between Costner and Moore that lasts right up until the end, making Mr. Brooks a thrilling piece of genre fun.
Flawless
There was a touch of Alfred Hitchcock-lite in this playful mystery caper reuniting Moore and Michael Caine after 20+ years since co-starring in 1984’s Blame it On Rio. In 2008’s Flawless, Moore plays Laura, a banking executive in 1960s London who takes up an offer from Caine’s elderly janitor, Hobbs, to pull off a diamond heist as revenge for being passed over for promotion. Even though she’s the audience surrogate, Laura nonetheless remains a highly watchable presence thanks to the character’s desperation, which Moore maintains a firm handle on and doles out at an incredibly precise level that works for the film’s numerous twists. Flawless didn’t receive much notice when first released, but it’s just the kind of mischievous gem that’s always a pleasure to discover.
The Joneses
Moore and David Duchovny star as Kate and Steve Jones, the heads of a seemingly perfect family who are actually stealth marketers, brought into upscale neighborhoods to befriend those who live there and subliminally convince them to buy the various products they’re secretly tasked with selling. This satirical 2010 comedy came out at just the right moment with a take on consumerism that was never timelier. Moore’s given a lot to work with in her portrayal of Kate, a woman who is defined by the role she’s taken on. The Joneses takes a serious turn near the end, but never loses sight of its aims, culminating in a pivotal scene in the final act when Kate is faced with leaving behind the world she knows and returning to the one she fought to escape.
Margin Call
Writer/director J.C. Chandor’s feature debut was one of the buzziest titles of 2011, eventually getting an Oscar nomination for its screenplay. Moore once again shines as part of an ensemble in this story about the top heads of an investment firm who are faced with an upcoming financial collapse. As Risk Manager Sarah, Moore takes a frosty character and reveals her vulnerabilities, which first and foremost includes carving out a career that has seen her rise in the ranks only to realize it will be her head that rolls first. It’s one of the most restrained performances Moore has ever given and her choice to not overplay her scenes speaks greatly to the journey that Sarah herself has taken on her way to the top.
Moore is one of those actresses whose name conjures up immediate big-screen favorites, from the classic (the aforementioned Ghost) to the reappraised (G.I. Jane), to the cult (Nothing But Trouble, anyone?). Even if most in and out of the industry didn’t always recognize the actress over the movie star, the kind of work she was able to deliver more than speaks for itself. Besides The Substance, Moore has also enjoyed recent TV success thanks to two of the most high-profile producers today with parts in Ryan Murphy’s Feud and Taylor Sheridan’s Landman. With speculation suggesting that she’s set to take over season two of the latter series, and with an intriguing role in the new feature from director Boots Reily already in the can, it looks like the industry can’t wait for more Moore.
