The Debut review: Julianne Moore has already wrapped up the Oscar race

Running time: 105 minutes.Rated R (brief drug use, some sexual references, and language).

In theaters Dec.11.From the very first minute, it’s certain Jesse Eisenberg’s film “The Debut” is going to be completely bonkers.Mona, a meek but intense New Jersey housewife played by Julianne Moore like she’s just ripped off a straitjacket, auditions for a supporting role in a musical at her local community theater.Sounds normal enough? Well, she loses the part to Bernadette Peters.Exactly what kind of non-professional theater company is this? Yes, Peters plays Serena Cherry, a bigshot amateur, but she sure sings like she’s won two Tonys.That surreal cameo from Broadway royalty immediately establishes the No.

1 rule of Eisenberg’s third feature as a writer and director, which is showing at the Toronto International Film Festival: There are no rules and there is even less reality.Sometimes dazzling, sometimes puzzling, always ridiculous, “The Debut” is a song-and-dance fever dream that could be the wacko love child of “Waiting for Guffman” and “Black Swan.” There’s inside-baseball show people humor and a psychological breakdown.It’s capital-W Weird.More than anything, the movie is an excuse for Moore, who Eisenberg wrote the role for, to go loco.

The risk-taking actress excels at that: “May December,” “Savage Grace,” “Boogie Nights,” heck, “Kingsman: The Golden Circle.” But you’ve never seen her be as full-bore demented as she is here.I was frankly worried for her sanity.

The result of Moore’s practically pathological commitment to this frustrated suburbanite at a crossroads is some of her best work in a long time.Fortunately (or perhaps not) for Mona, Peters’ Serena takes a job in New York City and drops out of the show.Mona, it turns out, was the only other person to audition.

So, she is asked to play Miss Danielle, an apartment superintendent with a name like a second grade teacher’s.The fearsome director of the sho...