Director Todd Haynes has had a pretty quiet time of things since his hugely acclaimed, award winning Carol in 2015, though I thought 2019’s Dark Waters was unfairly neglected. His latest film, May December, with its troubling subject matter is creating more buzz.
Julianne Moore stars as Gracie Atherton-Yoo. She caused a scandal twenty years ago when she had an affair with Joe, who worked part-time in the same pet store as her. When it was discovered, she was arrested and jailed because Joe was 13 years old. On her release, they built a life together but when Elizabeth (Natalie Portman), an actor, arrives at their home to research for a role in a film based on, their seemingly happy marriage is put under strain.
This film has an impressive ambiguity. We are left to wonder if Grace is a calculating monster or mentally unstable or a little of both. Joe meanwhile seems to sometimes be more of a carer for Grace, with her more out of obligation than love, than a husband, and sometimes Grace appears to be more of a mother to Joe than a wife.
Elizabeth initially comes across as genuinely wanting to portray Grace in a balanced way, but as time goes on, the probability that her film will be a sensationalist piece of trash seem to rise. It is Portman who gives the best performance, subtly adopting Grace’s mannerisms as she spends more time with her.
A thought provoking film that may just fall short for major awards, but one that will stick in the memory.
Rating: 8 out of 10