The Stream: A very odd film with conflicting tones is confusing.

The Big Screen: Charles Melton is excellent as the heart of the film.

The Final Bill: The quirks of the film may be off-putting, but there is an emotional story underneath the odd flourishes.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Todd Haynes
Writers: Samy Burch; story by Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik
Stars: Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Charles Melton
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Rating: R for some sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language
Runtime: 1 hour 57 minutes
Production Companies: Gloria Sanchez Productions, Killer Films, MountainA, Project Infinity, Taylor & Dodge
Platform: On Netflix December 1, 2023
ourneau

What’s up, Streamers! Since the Academy Awards are right around the corner, here’s a streaming movie that you can watch to be in the know. The screenplay for May December has been nominated for Best Original Screenplay. It’s been on Netflix since December. Here’s how it goes.

In May December, Natalie Portman plays an actress, Elizabeth Berry, who arrives in Savannah, Georgia, to meet and research a real-life person she’s playing in an upcoming independent film.  She will be playing a character based on Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore), who had an affair with and eventually married a 13-year-old boy, Joe Yoo (Charles Melton). At the time of the affair, Gracie was 36 years old, and Joe was a schoolmate of her son’s. Now, Joe is 36 years old; Gracie and Joe’s youngest children are about to graduate from high school; and, Elizabeth is meddling in their lives and opening old wounds. Melodramatic actress-ing and hot dog grilling hijinks ensue.

May December is directed by Todd Haynes from an original screenplay by Samy Burch. It is a very stylized movie and is probably an acquired taste for most. In my opinion, this movie is very disjointed. Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore are in one weird movie while Charles Melton is in another heartbreaking movie. I think Todd Haynes and Samy Burch were going for some satirical mix of a callous, self-centered Hollywood actress destroying the delicate life built out of a traumatic situation for the sake of “art” while also acknowledging the deep recesses of that long-buried trauma, which is interesting; but the actual devastating abused visited upon, particularly, Joe does not mesh well with the odd tone of the rest of the movie. Both parts are good, but they don’t fit together.

Additionally, the dialogue is so weird. Portman and Moore deliver their lines in this stilted melodramatic way that is very off-putting. While they play off of each other well, the drama is so uncomfortable. I guess that’s on purpose. Portman is attempting to impersonate Moore’s character and as it becomes more pronounced it becomes pretty chilling. Then, there is the score that is so over-the-top. It has odd flourishes that emphasize ridiculous things. It really leans into the melodrama. My fundamental problem with May December is that it doesn’t seem to take the trauma suffered by Joe Yoo seriously. Charles Melton is excellent in conveying the man’s stunted maturity and his loss of innocence. Melton’s physicality and ability to display Joe’s frustrations is very affecting. The rest of the movie seems to undercut the seriousness of what’s actually happened to Joe by way of his relationship with Gracie. Maybe that’s the point?

Ultimately, May December is an interesting exercise in melodrama and satire. The emphasis on Hollywood co-opting real-life traumas for entertainment is an interesting angle. Unfortunately, the conflicting tones within the movie don’t come together, and the overall effect is disjointed. Charles Melton is truly excellent in his role. Portman and Moore are good as their off-putting characters. Grab a handful of popcorn if you choose to stream May December.