May December
Introduction
It is a Wednesday and the last two days of the week allow me a little scope to experiment and scout for new content. With that, I finished watching the new English film May December, a film that I had zero clue about. It so happened that I was scrolling through the section of ‘Popular Films This Week’ on Letterboxd that I did stumble upon the film May December. One look at its premise did have me interested impulsively, so much so that I happened to zero in on the film to watch and review. Having premiered previously at the Cannes Film Festival, there was a genuine curiosity on my side before venturing into the drama. So then, does May December manage to impress, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
Based on true events, May December follows the story of a married couple whose life changes after a biopic is being made on their lives following a tabloid romance from their past. To give them company is a young actor who wishes to research about her role, thus adding a little pressure to the existing situation. The story here might seem pretty straight forward given that there is no real hook in the plot. This reminded me of the 2022 film Aftersun that did unfold on a similar template which had no real plot if you were to look from a distance. Yet the more you invest in the drama, the more textured the characters appear. The screenplay standing at a shade under 2 hours moves at a leisurely pace but there is so much going on between the lines that needs to be deciphered. This section will contain spoilers.
The drama does open with the introduction of the three protagonists, Gracie, Joe and Elizabeth who are about to form a strange sort of a relationship between the three. Gracie and Joe are now married but with a disturbing past wherein Gracie(36 years at the time) was under trial for molesting a 13 year old Joe, and while she was in prison she delivered their baby. This 23 year old age gap between the couple is the germ for the title of the film – May December, with them being months apart that sets a sort of a metaphor for the theme of the drama. May represents summer, a vivacious time representing the youth while December represents a slightly older person through the season of Winter. Such metaphors are sprinkled throughout the narrative to keep you invested but essentially it is the character study of the protagonists which is the most fascinating aspect of the drama.
Gracie(having kids of her own from her previous marriage and grandma to their kids as well, along with having children with Joe) is essentially a person who has come to terms with the curveballs thrown at her during her lifetime. But she doesn’t acknowledge her trauma, neither her mistake from the past. You get to know a little about her in the opening scene wherein she is more concerned about her hot-dogs. Elsewhere, she ignores the mental state of her husband Joe while accusing him of taking the lead in their ‘episode’. Also, she confronts Elizabeth towards the end of the film, telling her that she was ‘secure’ and that no such episode of her being molested by her own brother, ever occured, much contrary to the statement made by her son from her previous marriage, Georgie. But it was more likely that she has normalized her way of life thereby having no real regrets even with her ‘mistakes’.
Joe is a far more sensitive and complex character to decipher. He has a hobby of rearing monarch butterflies while observing them in their caccoon and patiently waiting for them to bloom. This is a precise representation of his life, almost caged through and waiting to blossom, an event that he was stripped off in his teenage years. So when Elizabeth tells him that he always has time to start afresh, he instantly begins falling for her as the two make out. And even though their fling doesn’t last too long, he asks his friend on a facebook messenger chat of wanting to take a holiday together, only to be reminded that he was married. And this is reflective in a moving scene wherein he is seen sharing a joint with his son while regretting the kind of freedom that he deserved in his teenage years, while the same freedom was being given to his children. This results in him breaking down that reflected a lot on his fragile mental state!
Elizabeth on the other hand is an opportunist in every sense of the word. She wishes to change her ‘onscreen image’ by resorting to doing complex character driven roles. As a result, her research leads her into the dark realms of her psyche wherein the lines between real and reel begin to blur out. She wishes to know every single detail of Gracie, even resorting to replicate Gracie’s ‘episode’ with Joe at the pet shop, while she casually begins to develop mild feelings for Joe, without realising the complications that she might be contributing to in Joe’s life. But at the end of the day, her aspiration of wishing to portray a complex character is restricted to a sleaze-fest with the director wishing to move to the next scene while she begs for another take in order to get it ‘real’. Overall, the screenplay is layered and complex and accounts for a wonderful watch.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational but the ability of the writers to integrate an important detail through the lines without much buildup, needs to be applauded! The music and BGM have a soothing melancholy almost like an after-taste that represents the mood of the characters really well. The cinematography captures some stunningly poignant frames that makes for a subtly lasting impact. For instance, a scene involving Garcie interacting with Elizabeth, with a mirror reflecting their conversation featuring Garcie was representative of the cinema that would eventually be made from Elizabeth’s perspective. The editing is smooth and crisp that allow the drama to flow. Director Todd Haynes does a phenomenal job in leaving many scenes which are open to interpretation. There is a lot of subtext on display and the intention is clear to titillate the intelligence of the viewers. He does leave subtle hints along the way that makes for a stunning impact if you are willing to connect the dots.
Performances
The performances are excellent by the ensemble cast. Charles Melton as Joe showcases his vulnerability and mental health in the most amazing manner. Julianne Moore as Gracie is assertive and almost wears a ‘pretend’ mask of being ‘steady’ in life without acknowledging her previous mistakes. She is outstanding to witness and a complex character portrayed to perfection. Natalie Portman as Elizabeth had so many layers to her character wherein the lines of right and wrong blur out, thus making her action unjustifiable. As a result, you can’t quite empathize with her character leaving you conflicted, which was the desired result achieved by the actor. All other actors are brilliant as well despite a limited screentime.
Conclusion
Despite being niche in many ways, May December is a searing portrayal of complex and deranged relationships in a drama that comes with my highest recommendation.