Actress Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) agrees to live in the home of Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore), a woman she will be playing in an upcoming biopic. 23 years earlier, Gracie was found guilty of child rape when she was caught having sex with 13-year-old Joe Yoo (played in the present-day storyline by Charles Melton). During her time in prison, Gracie gave birth to Joe’s child and on her release, she rekindled their relationship and the two married. As Elizabeth conducts research for her role as Gracie, her presence puts tension on Gracie and Joe’s marriage and threatens to change things forever.
‘May December’ has received plenty of critical acclaim since its initial release and plenty of awards buzz. Directed by Todd Haynes (‘Far From Heaven’), the film is a stylistically impressive film that deals with a very taboo subject. Gracie’s fling with a child was turned into a sensationalist headline-grabbing story, and incredibly 23 years on from the event she’s able to live a relatively quiet and peaceful life. She isn’t ostracised by the small-town she lives in, and it seems that everyone around her has made peace with her actions.
As Gracie tries hard to convince Elizabeth that her marriage to Joe is perfect, Elizabeth speaks to the people of the town including Gracie’s ex-husband to find out who the real Gracie really is. At the same time, viewers catch glimpses of the dynamic between Gracie and Joe as they look after their three children, and it’s certainly not all roses and sunshine like they want everyone to believe. Elizabeth’s presence, and her conversations with Joe, start to unravel deep-held feelings he’s never voiced and questions about his relationship with Gracie start to surface. Has he been blinded all these years by Gracie’s version of events that he hasn’t considered that his wife is a child groomer?
The film’s strongest aspect is its cast. Heavyweights Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore give reliably solid performances but it’s Charles Melton, perhaps best-known for his role in ‘Riverdale’, that really impresses. Those familiar with Melton will be surprised by just how nuanced a performance he gives and this film shows that he’s much better than the material he was given in ‘Riverdale’. As Joe, he transforms from quiet and introverted to someone determined to question his life and the choices that he’s made.
‘May December’ asks some hard questions and it delivers some very uncomfortable answers. It sits somewhere in the grey, seemingly refusing to pass judgement on Gracie one way or the other. By the film’s end there’s some semblance of commentary of Gracie’s actions and her affect on Joe, but it’s not explored quite as deeply as you may expect it to be. Haynes draws out solid performances from his cast, and he knows how to make the audience uncomfortable, but for me the film doesn’t quite live up to its promise.
Cast: Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Charles Melton Director: Todd Haynes Writers: Samy Burch & Alex Mechanik Certificate: 15 Duration: 117 mins Released by: Dazzler Media Release date: 20th May 2024 Buy ‘May December’ now
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