A “May-December romance” is defined as a marriage or romantic relationship between a young person and a person who is considerably older. A good example: the marriage of Pablo Picasso (age 72) to his last wife Jacqueline (age 28).
Todd Haines’ latest film “May December” is the tale of a similar relationship that is a bit more sinister.
The screenplay by Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik is based on the true story of Mary Kay Letoirneau, a Washington State teacher who pleaded guilty in 1997 to two counts of felony second-degree rape of a child. Letoirneau was 34, and the boy, Vili Fualaau, was 12 years old when she initiated the sexual abuse. Letoirneau, who was already married with a family of her own, was found guilty and spent a total of six years in prison.
The movie takes license with these facts. Elizabeth (Natalie Portman), a glamorous young Hollywood actress , comes to Savannah (rather than Washington State) to do research for a movie where she is to play Letoirneau, who has been renamed Gracie and who is played by Julianne Moore.
Gracie, who has been released from prison is now married to Fualaau, renamed Joe (Charles Melton) who is in his mid-30s. They live a rather ordinary life (she as an occasional baker, he as a medical technician), raising three children in a glamorous waterfront house, which they somehow afford on their middle-class salaries.
As part of her research, Elizabeth interviews Gracie and Joe about their relationship and assures them that she intends to portray their story honestly. What keeps you guessing here is whether or not she will ultimately keep her word.
Visiting the pet store where the couple met and worked 24 years earlier, Elizabeth sees the stock room where Gracie was caught with Joe and reenacts the scene alone. To gain further insight, she also speaks with various people who knew Gracie and Joe, including Tom, Gracie's first husband (D. W. Moffett); and Morris (Lawrence Arrancio), her defense lawyer.
As in “Far and Away” (2002) and “Carol” (2015), Haines’ melodramatic, somewhat campy style lends itself well to the performance of his actresses. Portman quite simply is magnificent as Elizabeth. Like her performance in “Jackie,” she can portray sexuality with one hand and fragility with the other. She is a joy to watch, as is Moore, a beautiful actress in her own right who plays a very different sort of person here: an ordinary woman who still lives with the disgrace of what she did 24 years earlier.
While you may initially find it tough to believe Melton as the sexually mature teen a woman would give up her life for, you gradually see he has the skill and sexual magnetism to portray the average Joe who is looking back on his life with regret.
Meanwhile, Smith adds life and energy into this rather slow-paced movie as Georgie, Gracie’s smart-mouthed, ne’er-do-well musician son from her first marriage. He proposes a deal to Elizabeth which quietly outrages her.
“May December” earned plenty of favorable buzz in recent award show competitions. Burch and Mechanik have been nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the upcoming Academy Awards, while Portman, Moore and Melton were nominated for best actor and best supporting actor roles at the Golden Globes. So Todd Haines must be doing something right. Whether it is your cup of tea is another question. Me, not so much. Sorry/not sorry.
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I remember the story from the news. I found it odd but frankly could care less, like the Bobbitt's story. I'll probably skip this movie but appreciate your review,