MAY DECEMBER

US, 2023, 117 minutes, Colour.

Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Charles Melton, Elizabeth You, Gabriel Chung, D.W.Moffett.

Directed by Todd Haynes.

May December is a phrase that indicates a relationship between a younger person and an older person – with the note, that the older person is considerably older. This film is based on an actual case in Washington State in the 1990s, a married woman with children and her relationship with a 12-year-old. In fact, the woman went to jail, gave birth to a child in prison, and, when released, married the boy.

However, this film does not focus on the 1990s except in retrospect, in memories, in judgements. Rather, the setting is 24 years later, the couple still married, now with three children, one of them graduating from high school. Which means then that an audience will have a point of view on underage sexual relationships, the law, crime and punishment. However, what the film is interested in is the aftermath, what was the effect of the relationship, what was the effect of the marriage, now almost a quarter of a century later?

The occasion for this story is the decision of a company to make a movie about the woman, Gracie (Julianne Moore). A well-known actress Elizabeth (Natalie Portman), comes to town to be with Gracie, to glean all she can that will enhance her performance. In one sense it is perfectly normal for this kind of research. On the other hand, there are all the personal relationships, the probing of the past, sensitivities. But, the way that Todd Haynes, a long-time director of women, Julianne Moore in Safe and Far From Heaven, with such productions as Mildred Pierce, Carol, introduces Elizabeth, we are wary of her, her motivations, professional approach, personal approach and insinuations.

There are frequent scenes of the two women together, especially looking together into a mirror, reminiscent for film buffs of the photos and posters for Ingmar Bergman’s 1960s Persona, the persons, the masks…

And, significantly, there is Joe, the boy in question, now husband and father, played by Charles Melton.

While the screenplay is well-written, dramatic interactions, emotional crises, a strong sequence where a cheeky kid in a class asks the actress about performing sex scenes and she gives quite an intense reply about the process, the detachment, the involvement, the feelings. The way that the audience will understand each of the characters here is often by their body language, their looks, movements, the ways they suggest the inner emotions for the audience to interpret.

It has been remarked that emotions can be buried deep. And, this is the case for the central characters and it is over to the audience to interpret the words and actions to explore these emotions.

However, perhaps the most accessible character is Joe, who is the character who intrigues. And an often warmly striking performance from Charles Melton. Audiences are used to adult predators, used to performers who also perform in real life. But here is Joe, the history of the relationship, his age and inexperience, the marriage, the children, his decades of being husband and father, and the audience wondering how he is still lost in his past, coming to terms, not coming to terms, needs, hopes, love for his children, trying to be supportive of his emotional wife, often allowing himself to be manipulated by her .

The musical score, pounding at times, his adaptation of Michel Legrand’s score for the British film, The Go-between.

The action in May-December is very much December, time passing, the effects of what happened in May, how much for good, how much for ill.

1. The title, relationships, older and younger, considerably older?
2. The screenplay based on an actual case, the 1990s, the older woman, the schoolboy, the relationship, the law, in prison, giving birth in prison, out of jail, the couple marrying, more children, the passing of the decades?
3. Audience judgements about the issue, moral, legal? The important aspect of the film is understanding what happened in the past, realising that decades had passed, the consequences of the initial experience for Gracie, her family, for Joe?
4. The town, homes, streets, beaches, school? Authentic American atmosphere? The musical score (the adaptation from the film, The Go-Beetween)? Highly dramatic and pounding?
5. The situation, the company making the film, Elizabeth coming to the town, to get to know Gracie, to learn, background for her performance? The motivations? Status as a well-known star? Her personality, initially tentative with Gracie, the interactions, listening, observing, standing with Gracie at the mirror, Gracie applying the make up, the touches of intimacy? The coming to meals, meeting with Joe, the children? Intentions, infiltrating the family?
6. Gracie, age, experience, her former husband, willing to be interviewed, his version of the story, his relationship with his children? Gracie and her relationship with Joe, husband and wife, Joe as father? Her relationship with her older children? With her children with Joe? The scene of getting the address for the graduation? Charlie and his moods?
7. The scene at school, Elizabeth and celebrity, the provocative question about filming sex scenes, her intense reply, stage by stage of the experience, detachment, technical aspects, feelings? The audience having this in mind for the sequence with Joe? The daughter and her negative reaction to Elizabeth’s answer?
8. Joe, his age, casual work, his hobbies, the plans, explanation to Elizabeth, the skills? Relationship with his children, with Charlie on the roof, the marijuana, his first time, his relationship with his children? The relationship with Gracie, looking after her, the jobs, her taking him for granted but loving him?
9. Joe, the past, audience trying to understand, knowing what happened, looking at Joe, his body language, listening to him? Sympathy for him? The encounter with Elizabeth, her being seductive, his response, the sexual encounter? The aftermath?
10. The daughter coming home, the airport scene, family together, preparation for the graduation, the graduation scene, the whole family present?
11. Elizabeth, the encounter was Gracie’s older son, insinuations, requests for the job as a music supervisor?
12. The effect of the visit, Elizabeth so often present in the house? Gracie and her becoming wary? And how she was going to be portrayed in the film? The growing sense of alienation? Elizabeth leaving?
13. In the future for the children, going off to college, leaving home? The future of Gracie and Joe?