Director Todd Haynes’s new film, May December, is an incredible film with three towering performances. The film is an examination of our culture’s obsession with true stories, the idea of celebrity, and relationships. There is an inherent meta quality that forces the viewer to reevaluate our role with these types of stories, and how they affect those involved. It almost makes you ask if those who break the law deserve privacy.
Despite what began as a shocking affair, then 36-year-old Gracie (Julianne Moore) and 13-year-old Joe (Charles Melton) now lead a seemingly picture-perfect suburban life some 20 years later…as long as there are enough hot dogs. Enter Elizabeth (Natalie Portman), a famous actress, who is researching her upcoming role as Gracie in a movie that looks to tell of their torrid romance. As Elizabeth digs into Gracie and Joe’s past, the uncomfortable facts of their scandal inevitably cause emotions to resurface.
In many ways, May December feels like a Lifetime TV movie if it were made by a brilliant auteur. That’s not meant to be derogatory toward this film or Lifetime movies in general, , but that description fits quite well. The lighting, the score, and the key moments all elicit that melodrama so often associated with a Lifetime original. However, you have top-tier talent delivering those lines, and a filmmaker who has a clear purpose and vision behind the choices being made.
Elizabeth’s goal to make this movie high-quality is discussed multiple times. She is seen watching what appears to have been an earlier attempt at telling Gracie and Joe’s story at a much lower budget, and without the prestige her character brings to the production. The style of Hayes’s film takes on a bit of meta-commentary about the entire process. These are more than “stories”; these are people’s lives.
Portman and Moore are incredible whether they’re sharing the screen or looking down the barrel of the camera. Both are at the top of their game, and Moore’s early line reading expressing her concern over their fridge’s quantity of hot dogs hooked me immediately. While it’s no real surprise that the two Academy Award winning actresses are great, Melton – a relative newcomer – is a quiet presence who manages to make a big impact. Much of the film asks Melton to just kind of be present. However, when he is given more to do, he is up for the challenge, ultimately making his character as impactful as the two female leads.
May December is a truly compelling film. The love story at the center of the film is interesting, and those who grew up in the 90s will probably find elements here to be familiar. Where it is elevated is Hayes’s style, and the meta elements introduced by making this movie about an actress preparing to make her own movie. For film enthusiasts, this is clearly catnip.
May December will be in theaters on November 17 and on Netflix on December 1.
Rating: Must See.
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