May December

The 2023 psychological drama, May December, sparked some attention when its trailer first released, not just because it had Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore playing against each other, but for its controversial subject matter and the real-world incident that inspired it, that being the story of Mary Kay Letourneau, a Seattle schoolteacher who had an affair with a 12-year-old student, served a jail sentence, and ultimately ended up marrying and starting a family with him. This is a truly sickening series of events that, even if intriguing, doesn’t sound that pleasant to watch as a movie (probably why they decided to mainly take inspiration rather than specifically portray), but the movie in question directed by Todd Haynes and written by Samy Burch (who was the only one recognized at the year’s Oscars for Best Original Screenplay) was generally well received for its performances, direction and scripting, proving that in spite of the taboo topic, it didn’t stop it from being applauded.

An actress named Elizabeth (played by Natalie Portman) travels to Savanah, Georgia to research the woman she is set to star as in an upcoming independent film. The woman in question is Gracie Atherton-Yoo (played by Julianne Moore), a married mother in her sixties who is poisoned with controversy after having an affair and eventually marrying one of her students in 1992. The student, a now 36-year-old Joe Yoo (played by Charles Melton) is hesitant to bring attention back to them, but Elizabeth makes it clear that she just wants to tell the truth and deal with whatever consequences comes with it. As Elizabeth starts to get to know the family as well as the circumstances that led to this relationship, the complications of this horrific past decision starts to come to the surface, with Joe especially starting to regret what his life has come to and what he will have to deal with now that his children, twins Mary and Charlie (played by Elizabeth Yu and Gabriel Chung) are heading off to college, leaving him alone with Gracie. As tension grows while Elizabeth starts to model after Gracie more and more, the end results of this little excursion may lead to some truth bombs finally being let loose.

With very strong direction, a tight script, well tooled technicals and a very good cast, May December is a stylish yet brutal look on those that get a kick out of control and controversy.

Despite clearly taking from true events, the filmmakers made it clear that they didn’t consider it a one-to-one portrayal but instead a reference point for Samy Burch and her co-writer husband, Alex Mechanik, to use when piecing together their own idea. Being tasked with delivering a story about something as icky and unpleasant as child grooming without veering into the realms of exploitative pulp feature would’ve been insanely hard, and while artistic indie films have been able to tackle uncomfortable subject matters in a believable way, the closer a movie edges towards Hollywood and the award’s circuit, the more disingenuous they can feel. That’s why it was probably good to get a fresh and upcoming screenwriter to write the script (with her past work only being to help co-write and direct a few of her husband’s short films), and Todd Haynes to direct, as his filmography has always been laced with social commentary, controversial subjects, and a delivery that’s hypnotically atmospheric, but strangely grounded and subdued.

He understands the assignment as well as the premise, making sure it retains a sensible elegance to its presentation and never takes advantage of something gratuitous for the sake of shock tactics, but at the same time keeps the audience fully aware of the truly sick nature of this dynamic and the after effects that have arisen on all parties because of it. Instead of being a film that specifically dissects this isolated incident, it seems more focused on people’s strange obsession with the taboo and the lengths they’ll go to in order to feed off the drama without the pressure of accountability. By seeing through the lens of an actress trying to tell this person’s story, this straightforward plot is able to get injected with concise direction and poignant dialogue, making what could’ve been a soulless sitting into a complicated endeavour rich with nuance, subtle expressions, visual details and an exploration that is upfront about the fact that there won’t be a happy ending. It’s a very well-constructed film from both a writing and directing standpoint, and while it might not work for everybody as this kind of mental exploration is more about inner turmoil and unmentioned grief rather than something that is constantly spelt out, it definitely appeals to those that get a kick out of dissecting media.

The cast is pretty small, and none are big names aside from the two leads, which allows the movie to feel more unassuming and unpredictable. The choice to pair Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore is a pretty solid idea for a movie like this, as both actresses are pretty alike when looked at closely. While Portman has had a few shaky performances in her career against Moore who continuously astounds with her talent even in bad flicks, both seem intrigued by projects that don’t play it straight and allow them  to let loose and be as wild and unrefined as they want to be, and Haynes clearly knows how to bring the best out of both of them, which leads to some truly great performances. The entire cast is insanely strong, with even minor roles from people like Elizabeth Yu, Cory Michael Smith, Gabriel Chung, Piper Curda, and D. W. Moffett all feeling very believable, but the lead performances are definitely where things are at their strongest and it might be some of the best work the two have had in a while. Portman as this actress with a clear ulterior motive could play this in either a very reserved or a very obvious manner, but the mixture of extreme and minute reactions are a wonder to behold. Her moral spectrum and what she does makes her almost as twisted as Gracie (especially with what she does to Joe), her ability to emulate Moore’s demeanor, voice and posture is wonderful to pick up on (shown very well in a closing monologue), and while the character looks sincere and at least somewhat put off by the situation, her obsession with this woman and the degrees she goes to in order to emulate her, shows the dark twisted nature of her craft and really makes her a compelling lead.

Julianne Moore is also incredible as Gracie, with Haynes’ past experience working with her in movies like Safe, Far from Heaven, and Wonderstuck, allowing him to bring out the best in her without much effort. While this portrayal could feel like a caricature thanks to the dollish make-up, outdated hair style, and an odd lisp-y voice, it never feels overplayed and the way Moore uses that seemingly babyish demeanor as a weapon is chillingly effective (mainly whenever that veneer drops, and the domineering parental tone comes out). Juggling between a screaming wreck who needs to be pampered, to a commanding gas lighter who knows how to pull strings in order to stay on top of a clearly rigged relationship, it’s a great performance that feels disturbingly real even while being prominently theatrical. While both Moore and Portman are great, they are seasoned professionals, so the fact that newcomer Charles Melton is able to act as well (if not a little better) alongside them is insanely impressive. From the way he carries himself, to his minimal hushed dialogue, to even his obviously metaphorical obsession with insects, it’s a character that you feel very sorry for and he truly comes across like a stunted man trapped in a relationship outside of his control that he’s incapable of leaving after years of being gaslit into thinking one way, he’s an actor to look out for and it’ll be great to see him evolve.

The visuals could’ve been handled in a very realistic, straightforward manner and still been viewed as effective, but it’s nice that it didn’t settle and contains quite a few interesting aspects that, at first look, feel a little on-the-nose and dramatic for the sake of being dramatic. While this could be a style-over-substance situation where the film is doing whatever it can to mask an uneventful plot, these odd visual decisions prove their relevance as the plot keeps ticking forward. The movie has a spaciness to its atmosphere (as do most of Haynes’ movies), and it’s somehow able to make otherwise nice-looking locations feel uncomfortable, isolating and like you’re constantly being spied on.

Whether it’s through the cinematography by Christopher Blauvelt who uses a combo of extremely foggy close-ups and picturesquely composed extreme wide shots in order to feel both enclosed and exposed at the same time, the production design by Sam Lisenco which seems to present a typical modern suburban household, but one that feels bleached and unsympathetic through the pale washed-out color palette, or the musical score by Marcelo Zarvos which invokes a soap opera-esque sound through its dramatic stingers and random scene interjections which adds a dose of dramatic irony onto what feels like a horrifically realistic mental unravelling, all of these elements are deceivingly adding onto the film’s atmosphere and theme, and it’s a great showcase of all of them.

May December won’t be a film that entertains a large audience (especially those who’re looking for something more upfront about its characters and plot), but for fans of Todd Haynes or those that enjoy looking deeper into these problematic people to an almost invasive degree, it will scratch that specific itch. It managed to deliver its premise as seamlessly as it could’ve without falling into the realms of a snuff film (if anything, the film they’re making in the movie is arguably what would’ve been done in another time by another creative), and with a strong guiding hand, clever scripting that knows how to expose these messed up individuals in a way that feels cinematically-minded but also humanely flawed, clever production details which elevate the atmosphere and messaging, and three stellar leading performance from Portman, Moore, and Melton, it is at least worth peering at even if you are unnerved by what you see.