‘May December’ Review – Todd Haynes’ Hilarious, Unsettling New Drama [NYFF 2023]

What measures do we take to do the best job we can, and when do we know if we have crossed a line to do so? Our judgment is so clouded by the prospect of success that even our conscience can’t get in the way of our aspirations. Todd Haynes’s brilliant new film, May December, stars Natalie Portman as Elizabeth, an actress, who is portraying Julianne Moore’s Gracie in an upcoming movie about her life. Moore is coupled with the revelatory Charles Melton (Riverdale) who plays her much younger husband, Joe. As Elizabeth continues to spend more time with Gracie, Joe, and their family, the twisted nature of their tabloid romance bubbles to the surface.

Shot in just 23 days on location in Savannah, Georgia, the film boasts a myriad of beautiful frames that capitalize on the setting. Scenes showing the majestic cascade of Savannah’s famous Candler Oak trees are paired with Gracie’s elegant home bringing to light how immaculate this area of the American South can be. Even the house that Elizabeth is staying in during her brief visit is a sight to behold. Everything in Savannah is prepossessing, which makes the story that is slowly uncovered that much more unpleasant. Despite its relative size, Savannah is still a small town. And small towns, no matter how prim and proper, never forget. 

The foundation of May December is built upon its three premier performances. Portman and Moore both turn in equally haunting performances as Elizabeth continues to take on the mannerisms and personality of Gracie in an effort to bolster her upcoming performance. Moore’s public lack of remorse is contrasted with emotional scenes of private despair that further confirm her instability as Portman begins to embody this same nature as the film goes along. Elizabeth will do anything to get the most out of her research, including practicing unspeakable actions while visiting the pet store stock room where Gracie and Joe first consummated their illicit affair. 

Portman and Moore have unrivaled chemistry, but it’s Charles Melton’s turn as Joe that unequivocally steals the show. Melton gets to display his vast range as he must be a devoted husband to a woman the whole town despises, a loving father to his children, and also a man with desires that he must keep hidden. The power dynamic in his relationship with Gracie doesn’t afford him much opportunity to do much for himself, and the tension and anger inside him continue to build throughout the film’s duration. 

What makes this movie so special is the way it blends discomfort with humor. Early on, the film broaches its somewhat upsetting subject matter lightly and quickly eases the tension with a hilarious throw-away line or musical cue that throws the audience off guard. It lures you in this way and almost makes you normalize what is happening until we get closer to the end and a feeling deep inside signals it might not be so funny anymore. Lingering shots that zoom in on a character as the classically inspired score swells make it feel as if you are watching a cheap soap opera at times, and this feeling is only exaggerated as it’s discovered that the only thing these small town folk recognize Elizabeth from is a hospital show on television, implied to be in the melodramatic vein of some familiar shows that have been pumped out over the years. She desperately wants to break out of this mold and is taking this role so seriously that at some points in the film, she truly encapsulates Gracie that it is hard to distinguish them from one another.

Combining adaptations of classical music and original compositions, much of Marcelo Zarvo’s score for May December is driven by traditional piano. The score is expertly crafted to set an uneasy tone in smaller moments and also builds exponentially to push dramatic realizations and altercations over the top. In many ways, the film’s tension is propelled by the score and it perfectly matches the tone and style of the rest of the film. No note feels out of place, even in the dissonant chords that make the viewer yearn for a resolution. 

May December is a unique drama that manages to effectively weld together strands of ironic melodramatic filmmaking, incredible laughs, and one of the most unsettling stories of the year. Todd Haynes’ triumphant return with long-time collaborator Julianne Moore proves itself to be both entertaining as well as has some things to say about the idolization of stories like Gracie and Joe’s and those like Elizabeth who attempt to capitalize on their lives.

May December had its North American premiere as the Opening Night selection of the 2023 New York Film Festival. The film is set to debut in select theaters on November 17, 2023, followed by a streaming release on December 1, 2023, courtesy of Netflix.

Director: Todd Haynes

Writers: Samy Burch

Rated: R

Runtime: 113m

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VdAParM4h8]