Review by James Lindorf
Director Todd Haynes’ (Dark Waters) latest film, “May December,” came together through a bit of serendipity. A first-time screenwriter, unexpected scheduling openings, a director of photography replaced at the last minute due to a broken leg, and a tight shooting schedule of 23 days made for a stressful production. Luckily, it is a “simple” drama that challenges our moral anchors instead of exciting us with action or visual effects. After a long trek around the festival circuit, “May December” will have a limited theatrical release on November 17th before heading to Netflix on December 1st. You can find more details about the film or set up a reminder at http://www.netflix.com/MayDecember.
“May December” stars Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yu, a woman doing her best to be the queen of the cul-de-sac despite being reviled for her actions 20 years ago. While married and working at a pet store, Gracie began an affair with a 13-year-old boy named Joe. Now, two decades and a short jail stint later, she and Joe (Charles Melton) are in a loving, stable relationship with three kids. Their scandalous past is dragged back into the light when Hollywood actress Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) comes to spend time with the family to get to know Gracie, who she will be playing in an upcoming film. As they talk about the past, Gracie and Joe are forced to do what they have avoided for so long: reflect on the affair and how it has impacted them as individuals and the family.
“May December” is an interesting watch but not an entirely enjoyable one. Moore and Portman turn in wonderfully complex performances. Elizabeth appears to be a method actress doing everything she can to try and get in the headspace of a woman who would pursue a child. As she gets closer to Gracie, we have to question if her manipulative behavior is her own or the first glimpse of her embodying her subject. While Portman’s character growth seems to move in a linear fashion, Moore is frequently tasked with switching emotions on a dime depending on whether Gracie is trying to impress, downplay a situation, or steer it in a favorable direction. Moore excels with subtly when the performance could go big she pulls it in and rewards viewers who pay close attention to every bit of her performance from line delivery down to the inflection, to her facial acting and body language.
While they are giving the lead performances, Melton is responsible for the film’s heart. It should have been Joe and their children, but they are mostly present for jokes or to punctuate a failing of their parents’ dynamic. Much like his beloved Monarch butterflies, Joe and his view of his past are evolving, but unlike the Monarchs, there is no well-defined outcome. Having Melton as the film’s emotional core was a multifaceted mistake. The character is not defined well enough in writer Sammy Burch’s screenplay. At times, he seems to be suffering from arrested development; other times, he is a complex adult with his own plans and secrets, but they never come together as a unified person. Compounding the problem is his lack of screen time and the fact that Melton’s performance is a charisma black hole. Every time something fun or emotional comes near him, it is crushed into nothingness and spit back out in the most bland line delivery you can imagine.
“May December” is a movie for people who like seeing the disruption of suburban society or enjoy feeling icky. The performances, the characterizations, and the music are all supposed to unsettle the audience, and the movie is highly successful in that respect. The interesting thing is that everyone will be making guesses about just how deep the rabbit hole of depravity goes, and no one will believe where it stops. The complementary elements of “May December” can’t live up to the performances of Morre and Portman and bring the film down to a 2.5 out of 5.
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Director: Todd Haynes
Producer: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Grant S. Johnson, Pamela Koffler, Tyler W. Konney, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Christine Vachon
Writer: Samy Burch
Release Date: November 17th, 2023
Release Date: December 1st, 2023
Runtime: 1h 53m
Distributor: Netflix
