Director: Todd Haynes
Writers Samy Burch
Stars: Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman, Charles Melton
Synopsis: Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple buckles under pressure when an actress arrives to do research for a film about their past.
The Oscars are no strangers to films that delve into controversial topics, especially when the focus is on a relationship involving an adult and a minor. In recent years, they’ve nominated films like Licorice Pizza and Call Me By Your Name, both centering around a romance between a character in their mid-20s and a character who’s in their late teens. Defenses of these films often range in argument. Some arguments assert that such relationships occur in real life and deserve a realistic depiction, despite the social unacceptability. Others assert that main characters in films don’t need to be morally good characters, and advocate for more films that explore characters existing in an ambiguous gray area, neither wholly good nor bad. While both arguments are valid, I find neither particularly applicable in these instances. I believe that a film should explore controversial topics, but it crosses a line when it starts to endorse them. I’ve previously spoken out about the problematic nature of the former, highlighting the dangerous precedent these films set with the tones they establish. Both of the mentioned films lean towards romanticizing the relationship between the two main characters, almost as a type of poignant romance that goes against societal standards, and one that they can overcome.
May December follows Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman), an actress chosen to portray the “real-life” figure Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore). Elizabeth travels to Savannah, Georgia, to delve into the lives of Gracie and her husband, Joe Yoo (Charlies Melton), who gained tabloid attention for their illicit affair when Gracie was 36 and Joe was just 13. I approached the film with some apprehension due to the subject matter and the poor execution of similar films that have come before. The film focuses on these characters as adults, providing ample space to explore the nuanced consequences of their relationship. This approach allows the characters to navigate the moral gray area in which they reside, helping the audience understand the motivations behind their actions without ever justifying them. May December intricately examines the problematic relationship at the heart of the film, all while incorporating a playful and campy atmosphere reminiscent of a daytime soap opera.
The most intriguing aspect of May December lies in the relationship at the film’s center between Moore and Melton’s characters. Todd Haynes skillfully crafts the dynamic between these two, revealing the disturbing nature of its conception while portraying them as a seemingly normal couple. Gracie,(Moore), stands out as one of the most captivating characters to grace our screens in quite a while. Clearly a deeply troubled individual, she exhibits multiple instances of an unstable nature, experiencing crying fits and breakdowns over the most minute nuisances in everyday life, suggesting that there’s something more going on underneath the surface. As the film progresses, we gain insight into how she perceives her relationship with a man she pursued while he was still a minor, and how she constructs a narrative to justify it to herself. Joe (Melton), now an adult, initially appears to navigate the disturbingly unique predicament adeptly. However, as the story unfolds, we realize he’s merely cosplaying as an adult, still emotionally and mentally stunted at the age when Gracie initiated contact with him. Haynes doesn’t shy away from addressing the troublesome nature of this courtship, yet he skillfully infuses profound humanity into the characters at its core.
The addition of Portman’s character into their life only further highlights the rift between the two, and how starkly different they are from each other. As the film progresses, their relationship only continues to crumble apart, as Portman begins to pry into their personal lives and unravel the core of their connection. Adding another layer of complexity to the narrative, Portman’s character, Elizabeth, sets the stage for the film’s exploration of not only personal relationships but also its stylistic choices. Following the pattern of the other characters in the film, Elizabeth is nearly as morally ambiguous as the others. With a polite and charming demeanor, as an actor, you can see what kind of lengths she’ll go to as part of her pseudo investigative journalism, trying to truly tap into who Gracie is as a human, even if that means causing colossal shifts in her everyday life, all for the chance at trying to make future her character on screen appear more “real”.
Stylistically, Haynes effortlessly balances the dark and serious tones of the context when necessary and isn’t afraid to poke fun at the inherent absurdity of the film’s nature as well. Particularly, the use of the score truly emphasizes moments of over-the-top dramatization, giving the film an almost daytime soap opera quality that makes it incredibly entertaining to watch. Conversely, he knows when to focus on the seriousness of the matter, directing the performers to heartbreaking places that will shake you to your core. The dichotomy of the campy tones of the film alongside the intense realism provides for a fantastic viewing experience. Although Haynes might occasionally grapple with pacing issues and trying to establish the exact direction of the film, once you’re settled in, it easily becomes one of this year’s best viewing experiences.
While May December on its surface might seem like an off-putting film about an incredibly controversial topic, the way it deals with the themes, narratives, and characters it presents is flawlessly executed. With hilarious moments of absolute absurdity intermingled with some of the most intensely dramatic scenes in film this year, it’s undoubtedly an experience that will not disappoint.
