May December

I was a bit apprehensive about watching May December because I wasn't the biggest fan of my most recent Todd Haynes-directed feature from many years back, Carol (I stand by that, despite strong performances, it's a snoozefest). Right now, I'm very busy and the thought of seeing my time slip away on something similar didn't excite me. This is on Netflix though, thus the pill is easier to swallow if it would have been a struggle. 

But(!) what I found instead - much to my delight - was a fascinating film, brimming with subtle conflict, incredible central performances, and far more "plot" than Carol had. For the majority of my time with May December, it was something that consistently captivated me. 

May December quickly introduces us to Gracie (Julianne Moore) and Elizabeth (Natalie Portman). Gracie was in the news decades ago for having sex - and getting pregnant - with a minor. She went to jail for it, but upon release, the two of them ended up getting married and having a family and life together. It's a setup that feels ripped straight from the headlines we've seen before (usually a teacher/student combo) and immediately makes Gracie and her husband Joe (Charles Melton) interesting characters. Is their love real? Is Gracie much weirder than she appears? Is Joe actually happy with this decision 20 years later? All of these complex, under-the-surface questions get explored in small ways with the script. Elizabeth is the TV/Movie star studying Gracie so that she can play her in an upcoming film. Similarly, Portman's character is odd and she seems to be mildly obsessive with Gracie. Why? What's wrong with her? Is she even weirder than Gracie? I'll avoid further plot details than that, but suffice it to say that there's a lot of avenues for the script and movie to explore between the interactions of these two women and Gracie's family. 

Unfortunately, the ending doesn't really do...well...much of anything and was a major disappointment for me. For the bulk of the runtime, May December feels like it's building toward something. It didn't feel like it made the impact it was setting out to. I'm not sure why this was the ending Haynes decided to go with; I found it probably the most boring option out of the several directions I was thinking it could go. 

As it is with May December, the journey is much better than the destination. We're gifted two nuanced and believable performances by talented actresses, the drama along the way is enticing and kept me engrossed, and the filmmaking is impressive and fun in the way it naturally feels like an older film. I just wish it had stuck the landing and we might have been looking at one of the year's best.

Rapid Rath's Review Score | 8/10