The Debut

Julianne Moore goes gloriously off the rails in Jesse Eisenberg’s offbeat musical comedy about a shy housewife who discovers her inner leading lady.Mona Friedman is a quiet New Jersey housewife whose life has become rather predictable.

Then she auditions for a small community-theatre musical and lands a tiny part.

Under the influence of the show’s intense director Jerry, Mona becomes increasingly obsessed with her character - throwing herself into the role with a determination that soon starts to alarm everyone around her.

What begins as a harmless bit of local theatre turns into a very unexpected journey of self-discovery.Written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, The Debut is an affectionate and increasingly bonkers love letter to community theatre.

Julianne Moore looks set for a busy awards season as the delightfully unhinged Mona, moving from painfully shy housewife to full-blown method actor with extraordinary comic timing and emotional range.

Paul Giamatti is terrific as the equally obsessive director alongside Halle Bailey, Jesse Eisenberg and Bernadette Peters.

With original songs written by Eisenberg, this is a wonderfully oddball celebration of what can happen when ordinary people step into the spotlight.