May December (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'May December' (directed by Todd Haynes, Far from Heaven, Carol), loosely based on the notorious Mary Kay Letourneau scandal from the 1990s, explores the impact on those involved in an adult/child sexual relationship that evolves over 20+ years. The film doesn't wholly demonize the characters, but Haynes definitively illustrates how psychological damage can stay hidden until an impetus brings those emotions to the surface. The impetus here comes in the form of Hollywood actress, Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman), who has come to the gorgeous Savannah, Georgia, home of Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore) & Joe Yoo (Charles Melton), to interact with & study the enigmatic Gracie, who is the subject of an upcoming movie project.
20 some-odd yrs. ago at the age of 36, Gracie embarked on a sexual relationship with Joe, the 7th grade friend of her son, Georgie. Gracie got pregnant; went to prison; had the child behind bars; then left prison after having served her time. Over time, they married to raise their first-born, Honor (Piper Curda), and twins Charlie & Mary (Gabriel Chung, Elizabeth Yu), soon followed. Gracie, nearing 60, & Joe, in his mid-30s, have been together for decades. They 'seem' to be happily married. That is until Elizabeth arrives to inflame some dormant embers. We, the viewer, watch as Portman's Elizabeth carefully observes Gracie; trying to piece together not only what happened 20 yrs. ago, but also the current state of the marriage, and mostly importantly, to get inside Gracie's psyche as to how she could have done what she did, and how she makes no apologies for it.
Everything culminates in a low-key, yet fascinating way where our allegiances flitter from Elizabeth, to Joe, & even Gracie at points. Surely, Gracie is a monster for starting the sexual liaison with young Joe and planting poisonous seeds that wouldn't germinate til he was older -- right? Surely, Elizabeth is the protagonist here, and yet, the manipulative, creepy, methodical ways she employs to get inside the heads of Grace & Joe are somewhat insidious in nature ... all to "get the role right" for her movie. As Elizabeth & Gracie study each other {almost like insects}, the similarities & differences btwn. these 2 women start to ebb, flow ... and even overlap. And then you've got Joe on the periphery. He seems well-enough adjusted as a 30-something year old husband & father to adult children, and yet, watching him slowly unravel under Elizabeth's watchful gaze {then takes action} becomes quite unsettling.
Todd Haynes mixes melodrama with satire and, the 3 main characters are up to task to execute Haynes' undulating tones. Natalie Portman is excellent as Elizabeth, the observer-turned-cunning catalyst in disrupting the faux-placid Gracie/Joe union. Portman's best scene occurs when she stares in the mirror {a recurring motif} in-character as Gracie, offering a teary-eyed defense for her actions – masterclass in acting {both in Portman's performance AND for what Elizabeth hopes to achieve for her movie ... brilliant!} Julianne Moore - employing a lisp - is superb as Gracie, a woman who can appear fragile to get a desired emotional response from Joe, but then makes our jaws drop with some quiet ah-ha moments that remind us just how manipulative she is.
And Charles Melton impresses as Joe, a seemingly ambivalent man who is utterly emotionally-stunted by the circumstances of his life. We see his slow realization of how messed-up his life is and how it impacts his relationship with Gracie, his kids, & even Elizabeth -- who takes coital matters into her own hands with him. Watching how boyishly Joe reacts to the liaison he just underwent with Elizabeth illustrates in primary colors just what a child Joe still is inside. Elizabeth coldly telling an initially gleeful Joe that their copulation is "just what ADULTS do" completely throws him for a loop. I think the most devastating moment for him occurs on a roof with Charlie when he realizes that his own kids are experiencing the life as a youth that he never had. 'May December' exhibits Todd Haynes' ability to examine complex & highly dysfunctional human relationships with great insight, intellect & voyeuristic acuity.
20 some-odd yrs. ago at the age of 36, Gracie embarked on a sexual relationship with Joe, the 7th grade friend of her son, Georgie. Gracie got pregnant; went to prison; had the child behind bars; then left prison after having served her time. Over time, they married to raise their first-born, Honor (Piper Curda), and twins Charlie & Mary (Gabriel Chung, Elizabeth Yu), soon followed. Gracie, nearing 60, & Joe, in his mid-30s, have been together for decades. They 'seem' to be happily married. That is until Elizabeth arrives to inflame some dormant embers. We, the viewer, watch as Portman's Elizabeth carefully observes Gracie; trying to piece together not only what happened 20 yrs. ago, but also the current state of the marriage, and mostly importantly, to get inside Gracie's psyche as to how she could have done what she did, and how she makes no apologies for it.
Everything culminates in a low-key, yet fascinating way where our allegiances flitter from Elizabeth, to Joe, & even Gracie at points. Surely, Gracie is a monster for starting the sexual liaison with young Joe and planting poisonous seeds that wouldn't germinate til he was older -- right? Surely, Elizabeth is the protagonist here, and yet, the manipulative, creepy, methodical ways she employs to get inside the heads of Grace & Joe are somewhat insidious in nature ... all to "get the role right" for her movie. As Elizabeth & Gracie study each other {almost like insects}, the similarities & differences btwn. these 2 women start to ebb, flow ... and even overlap. And then you've got Joe on the periphery. He seems well-enough adjusted as a 30-something year old husband & father to adult children, and yet, watching him slowly unravel under Elizabeth's watchful gaze {then takes action} becomes quite unsettling.
Todd Haynes mixes melodrama with satire and, the 3 main characters are up to task to execute Haynes' undulating tones. Natalie Portman is excellent as Elizabeth, the observer-turned-cunning catalyst in disrupting the faux-placid Gracie/Joe union. Portman's best scene occurs when she stares in the mirror {a recurring motif} in-character as Gracie, offering a teary-eyed defense for her actions – masterclass in acting {both in Portman's performance AND for what Elizabeth hopes to achieve for her movie ... brilliant!} Julianne Moore - employing a lisp - is superb as Gracie, a woman who can appear fragile to get a desired emotional response from Joe, but then makes our jaws drop with some quiet ah-ha moments that remind us just how manipulative she is.
And Charles Melton impresses as Joe, a seemingly ambivalent man who is utterly emotionally-stunted by the circumstances of his life. We see his slow realization of how messed-up his life is and how it impacts his relationship with Gracie, his kids, & even Elizabeth -- who takes coital matters into her own hands with him. Watching how boyishly Joe reacts to the liaison he just underwent with Elizabeth illustrates in primary colors just what a child Joe still is inside. Elizabeth coldly telling an initially gleeful Joe that their copulation is "just what ADULTS do" completely throws him for a loop. I think the most devastating moment for him occurs on a roof with Charlie when he realizes that his own kids are experiencing the life as a youth that he never had. 'May December' exhibits Todd Haynes' ability to examine complex & highly dysfunctional human relationships with great insight, intellect & voyeuristic acuity.