Film Todd Haynes’ new film is a deftly staged drama about a controversial subject. But it only scratches the surface. That’s written by Jon Andersson.
May December is a term used to describe a love relationship between a young person and someone much older. It’s also the title of Todd Haynes’ new film. It is about Gracie (Julianne Moore), who at the age of 36 begins a sexual relationship with the only 13-year-old boy Joe (Charles Melton). Something that causes Gracie to end up in prison, where she gives birth to the couple’s joint child.
Operation with actors
The film is inspired by a real event, and when we get into the action, it has been over 20 years since the scandal. The couple lives in an apparently happy marriage with three children. But when the couple is visited by actress Elizabeth (Natalie Portman), who will play Gracie in a film about the incident, old memories are brought back to life.
Through Elizabeth’s eyes, we get more and more information about what happened and how Joe and Gracie relate to it. As the method actor Elizabeth is, she tries to find the right feeling in the role. This means, among other things, being with the couple at various family functions, talking to relatives of Joe and Gracie and even learning to use make-up in the same way as Gracie. The scene when Elizabeth tries to get in the mood for the role by visiting the warehouse of the pet store where Joe and Gracie first had sex is a funny operation with method acting.
Movie references
Director Todd Haynes has called the film a dialogue with other films and directors’ works. Among other things, Haynes mentions Ingmar Bergman’s Persona and Mike Nichols’ The Graduate. Two obvious references for those who know their film history. The former deals with the theme of two women who become involved in each other’s personalities. Something that becomes not least obvious with the pictures of the two women in front of a mirror. A picture that is basically “twisted” from Bergman’s masterpiece. The latter tells the story of the relationship between an older woman and a much younger man.
Julianne Moore and Charles Melton convince in the roles of Gracie and Joe Photo: Netflix/Scanbox
It’s all cleverly staged and I like the nods to previous films. The acting is very good. Not least from Julianne Moore who once again proves that she is one of Hollywood’s best actors. Charles Melton also gives a convincing performance as Joe.
Just scratching the surface
But while May December has its merits, it also has some flaws. I leave the theater with the feeling that Haynes and screenwriter Samy Burch have only scratched the surface of Gracie and Joe’s relationship. Of course, it’s nice to have a film that doesn’t write one on the nose. Not everything needs to be explained. But I would have liked to know more about the characters’ motives. What made Gracie act the way she did? How does Joe feel deep down?
I also don’t think Nathalie Portman’s character Elizabeth lands quite right. The idea is for it to be a drift with actors trying too hard. But Elizabeth unfortunately becomes a bit too much of a template.
It is only at the end of the film that it burns properly. Joe finally confronts Gracie that maybe he was too young to understand what he was getting himself into. We also hear about events in Gracie’s childhood that could be an explanation for why she acted the way she did in adulthood. Even so, I leave the movie theater feeling like I never really got to know the characters and understand their motivations.