May December
{{Short description|2023 film by Todd Haynes}}
{{about|the 2023 film|the relationship type|May-December relationship|the TV show|May to December}}
{{See Wiktionary||May–December}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox film
| image = May December poster.jpeg
| caption = Release poster
| director = Todd Haynes
| screenplay = Samy Burch
| story = {{Plainlist|
- Samy Burch
- Alex Mechanik
}}
| producer = {{Plainlist|
- Natalie Portman
- Sophie Mas
- Christine Vachon
- Pamela Koffler
- Grant S. Johnson
- Tyler W. Konney
- Jessica Elbaum
- Will Ferrell
}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
- Natalie Portman
- Julianne Moore
- Charles Melton
}}
| cinematography = Christopher Blauvelt
| editing = Affonso Gonçalves
| music = Marcelo Zarvos
| studio = {{Plainlist|
- Gloria Sanchez Productions
- MountainA
- Killer Films
- Taylor & Dodge
- Project Infinity
}}
| distributor = Netflix
| released = {{Film date|2023|5|20|Cannes|2023|11|17|United States}}
| runtime = 117 minutes{{Cite web|date=October 20, 2023|title=May December (15)|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/may-december-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmde2odg3|access-date=November 19, 2023|website=British Board of Film Classification|archive-date=November 19, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119221734/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/may-december-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmde2odg3|url-status=live}}
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $20 million{{cite news |url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/commentary/cannes-2023-market-preview-20-hottest-sales-titles-1234861115/ |title=Here's the 20 Hottest Titles for Sale at Cannes |website=IndieWire |author1=Anne Thompson |author2=Brian Welk |date=May 12, 2023 |accessdate=November 15, 2023 |archive-date=November 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115222554/https://www.indiewire.com/features/commentary/cannes-2023-market-preview-20-hottest-sales-titles-1234861115/ |url-status=live }}
| gross = $5.3 million{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt13651794/|title=May December (2023)|work=Box Office Mojo|accessdate=2023-11-27}}
}}
May December is a 2023 American black comedy drama{{cite web | last=Grobar | first=Matt | title='May December's Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore & Todd Haynes On "The Stories We Tell Ourselves" In Looking To "Survive Our Lives" – Contenders Film L.A. | website=Deadline Hollywood | date=2023-11-19 | url=https://deadline.com/2023/11/may-december-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-todd-haynes-1235618730/ | access-date=2024-06-18}}{{cite web | last=Feinberg | first=Scott | title='Awards Chatter' Podcast — Julianne Moore on Reuniting with Todd Haynes for 'May December,' Why 'Far from Heaven' Almost Fell Apart and Why Oscars Matter | website=The Hollywood Reporter | date=2024-01-14 | url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/awards-chatter-podcast-julianne-moore-may-december-todd-haynes-1235786908/ | access-date=2024-06-18}}{{cite web | last=Gamerman | first=Ellen | title=In Hollywood, It's the Golden Age of the Creepy Woman | website=The Wall Street Journal | date=2023-12-07 | url=https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/film/may-december-netflix-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-8f114e08 | access-date=2024-06-18}}{{cite web | title=Is May December an Oscar contender? | website=CBC News | date=2023-12-12 | url=https://www.cbc.ca/arts/commotion/is-may-december-an-oscar-contender-1.7052112 | access-date=2024-06-18}} film directed by Todd Haynes from a screenplay by Samy Burch, based on a story by Burch and Alex Mechanik. It stars Natalie Portman as an actress who travels to meet and study the life of Gracie (Julianne Moore), the controversial woman she is set to play in a film—a woman infamous for the 24-year-long relationship with her husband Joe (Charles Melton), which began when he was 13 years old and she was 36.{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Clayton |date=2023-05-21 |title=Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman Are Both Lead-Actress Oscar Worthy in Todd Haynes' Delicious May December |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/awards/may-december-oscars-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-best-actress-1235620533/ |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=Variety |archive-date=September 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230930174413/https://variety.com/2023/film/awards/may-december-oscars-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-best-actress-1235620533/ |url-status=live }}
The film was announced in June 2021, with Portman and Moore joining the cast. Filmed in 23 days in mid-2022 in Savannah, Georgia, it premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2023, where Netflix acquired the North American distribution rights.
May December was released in select theaters in the United States on November 17, 2023, before streaming on Netflix on December 1, 2023. It received critical acclaim and various accolades, including four nominations at the 81st Golden Globe Awards and a Best Original Screenplay nomination at the 96th Academy Awards, and was chosen by the American Film Institute as one of the top ten films of 2023.
Plot
In 2015, actress Elizabeth Berry arrives in Savannah, Georgia, to research her upcoming role in an independent film. Elizabeth will be playing Gracie Atherton-Yoo, who, in 1992 at the age of 36, was caught raping 13-year-old Joe Yoo, a schoolmate of her son Georgie, at the pet store where they both worked. During a prison sentence, Gracie gave birth to Joe's child. Twenty-three years later, Gracie and Joe are married with three children: Honor, who is at college, and twins Charlie and Mary, who are about to graduate from high school.
Elizabeth interviews Gracie and Joe about their relationship. Visiting the pet store where the couple met, Elizabeth sees the stock room where Gracie and Joe were caught having sex and reenacts the scene alone. She speaks with Tom, Gracie's first husband, and Georgie, who is now a musician, and Gracie's defense lawyer. They view Gracie in varying ways, depicting her as naïve and passive, but also show how destructive her actions were.
Joe engages in a private text conversation with an unnamed friend who shares his hobby of rearing monarch butterflies. At one point, he proposes they take a vacation together, but she rebuffs him by reminding him he is married. At the accommodation she is staying in, Elizabeth talks with the film's director and suggests the film cast a "sexier" actor for the 13-year-old character of Joe after she views auditions of prospective co-stars.
Elizabeth participates in a Q&A at the twins' high school and discusses the intimacy actors and crew members feel when shooting a sex scene. When Elizabeth says she enjoys playing morally ambiguous characters, Mary is visibly offended.
At home, Charlie shares a cannabis joint with Joe, who reveals to his son that he has never tried cannabis before. High, Joe has a breakdown and weeps in Charlie's arms.
The family, accompanied by Elizabeth, celebrate the twins' graduation at a restaurant, where they have an awkward encounter with Tom, Georgie, and the rest of Gracie's old family. Georgie proposes that Elizabeth get him a job as a music supervisor on the film in exchange for details about Gracie's life; he claims he read Gracie's diary and discovered that her older brothers sexually abused her. Georgie also threatens that if not given the job, he will disparage the film to the press when it is released. Elizabeth gets a ride home from Joe.
Elizabeth invites Joe to her accommodation, where he gives her a letter Gracie wrote him early in their relationship. The two have sex, and Elizabeth tells Joe that he still has time to start a new life. Joe leaves once she refers to his experiences as a "story," saying that story is "his life." After he leaves, Elizabeth reads aloud the letter Joe gave her, adapting Gracie's mannerisms and lisps as she does so. Joe tearfully confronts Gracie about the start of their relationship, wondering whether he was "too young." Gracie insists he seduced her, and repeatedly asks who was really in control.
The morning of graduation, one of Joe's butterflies emerges from its chrysalis. Later, the whole family watches Charlie and Mary graduate while Joe weeps alone in the crowd. As Elizabeth prepares to leave, Gracie tells her Georgie fabricated the story of abuse by her brothers.
On set of the film, which is at this point revealed to be a low-budget and fairly low-quality production, Elizabeth films multiple takes of a scene depicting Gracie seducing Joe at the pet store. While the director is satisfied, she asks to film another take, insisting that the scene is "getting more real".
Cast
{{Cast listing|
- Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry
- Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo
- Charles Melton as Joe Yoo
- Cory Michael Smith as Georgie
- Elizabeth Yu as Mary Atherton-Yoo
- Gabriel Chung as Charlie Atherton-Yoo
- Piper Curda as Honor Atherton-Yoo
- D. W. Moffett as Tom Atherton
- Lawrence Arancio as Morris Sperber
}}
Production
Screenwriter Samy Burch outlined the script with her husband, Alex Mechanik, and completed the screenplay on Memorial Day, 2019. Producer Jessica Elbaum came onboard after reading the screenplay.{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Marcus |title=Screenwriter Samy Burch on Building to That Final 'Funny Punchline' of 'May December' |url=https://www.indiewire.com/awards/consider-this/samy-burch-may-december-interview-1234931909/ |access-date=11 December 2023 |publisher=Indiewire |date=4 December 2023}} In June 2021, it was announced that Portman and Moore were cast in the film.{{cite web|last=Kroll|first=Justin|title=Natalie Portman And Julianne Moore To Star In Todd Haynes' 'May December' – Cannes Market|date=June 11, 2021|website=Deadline Hollywood|url=https://deadline.com/2021/06/natalie-portman-julianne-moore-todd-haynes-may-december-1234773839/|access-date=November 22, 2022|archive-date=June 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611191427/https://deadline.com/2021/06/natalie-portman-julianne-moore-todd-haynes-may-december-1234773839/|url-status=live}} Portman recruited Todd Haynes to direct. In September 2022, Melton joined the cast.{{cite web|last=Fleming|first=Mike Jr.|title='May December' Helmer Todd Haynes Sets Charles Melton To Star With Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore|date=September 14, 2022|website=Deadline Hollywood|url=https://deadline.com/2022/09/may-december-todd-haynes-sets-charles-melton-star-with-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-1235118676/|access-date=November 22, 2022|archive-date=November 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122122144/https://deadline.com/2022/09/may-december-todd-haynes-sets-charles-melton-star-with-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-1235118676/|url-status=live}} In January 2023, it was reported that Piper Curda, Elizabeth Yu, and Gabriel Chung had joined the cast.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/may-december-todd-haynes-piper-curda-elizabeth-yu-1235492628/|title=Todd Haynes Drama 'May December' Adds Three Actors as Kids of Julianne Moore and Charles Melton (EXCLUSIVE)|website=Variety|first=Matt|last=Donnelly|date=January 17, 2023|access-date=January 17, 2023|archive-date=February 1, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201103020/https://variety.com/2023/film/news/may-december-todd-haynes-piper-curda-elizabeth-yu-1235492628/|url-status=live}}
Principal photography took place in Savannah, Georgia,{{cite magazine|last=Tangcay|first=Jazz|title=Cinematographer Ed Lachman Had to Exit Todd Haynes Drama 'May December' After Breaking His Hip|date=November 7, 2022|magazine=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2022/artisans/news/cinematographer-ed-lachman-todd-haynes-1235425224/|access-date=November 22, 2022|archive-date=November 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122122142/https://variety.com/2022/artisans/news/cinematographer-ed-lachman-todd-haynes-1235425224/|url-status=live}} and wrapped after 23 days in November 2022.{{cite web|last=Lattanzio|first=Ryan|title=Todd Haynes' 'May December' with Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore Wraps Production|date=November 21, 2022|website=IndieWire|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2022/11/todd-haynes-may-december-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-wraps-1234784566/|access-date=November 22, 2022|archive-date=November 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122123245/https://www.indiewire.com/2022/11/todd-haynes-may-december-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-wraps-1234784566/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last=Frost |first=Caroline |date=May 21, 2023 |title=May December Stars Natalie Portman & Julianne Moore Talk Unfair Expectations On Women "Even At Cannes"; Todd Haynes Quips On Macron – Cannes |url=https://deadline.com/2023/05/cannes-film-festival-may-december-todd-haynes-julianne-moore-natalie-portman-1235374626/ |access-date=May 21, 2023 |website=Deadline Hollywood |archive-date=May 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529090928/https://deadline.com/2023/05/cannes-film-festival-may-december-todd-haynes-julianne-moore-natalie-portman-1235374626/ |url-status=live }} Haynes's longtime collaborator Edward Lachman was initially going to serve as cinematographer, but was replaced by Christopher Blauvelt after injuring his hip. The script, which is set in Savannah, was originally set in Camden, Maine.{{cite news|last=Ellwood|first=Gregory|date=May 24, 2023|title=Todd Haynes On Natalie Portman's 'May December' Scene Everyone Will Be Talking About [Interview]|url=https://theplaylist.net/todd-haynes-on-natalie-portmans-may-december-scene-20230524/|work=The Playlist|access-date=May 30, 2023|archive-date=September 29, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929163457/https://theplaylist.net/todd-haynes-on-natalie-portmans-may-december-scene-20230524/|url-status=live}}
Haynes said the film is partly inspired by the Ingmar Bergman films Persona (1966) and Winter Light (1963).{{cite news |last1=Gillis |first1=Drew |title=Todd Haynes explains how Mary Kay Letourneau, Ingmar Bergman, and Turner Classic Movies inspired May December |url=https://www.avclub.com/may-december-todd-haynes-talks-julianne-moore-1850887203 |access-date=2 December 2023 |work=The A.V. Club |date=2023-09-23}} While not a direct adaptation, he also stated that the Mary Kay Letourneau scandal "became very, very helpful to get very specific about the research, and we learned things from that relationship".{{Cite web |last=Abramovitch |first=Seth |date=2024-01-04 |title=Mary Kay Letourneau's Ex-Husband Vili Fualaau Reacts to 'May December': "I'm Offended" |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/mary-kay-letourneau-vili-fualaau-charles-melton-may-december-1235778794/ |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/may-december-true-story-mary-kay-letourneau-1235757908/|title=How Netflix's 'May December' Mirrors the Mary Kay Letourneau Tabloid Sex Scandal|date=December 2023 |publisher=Variety}}
Music
{{Main|May December (soundtrack){{!}}May December (soundtrack)}}
Marcelo Zarvos's score for the film is an adaptation and reorchestration of Michel Legrand's music for The Go-Between. Haynes originally played Legrand's score on set and during editing for inspiration until eventually the team "ended up embracing so many aspects of the original score that Marcelo adapted and added original music to it and then re-orchestrated it."{{Cite magazine |url= https://ew.com/movies/may-december-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-may-kay-letourneau-douglas-sirk-inspirations/ |title= How Todd Haynes' May December channeled Mary Kay Letourneau and classic female melodramas |magazine= Entertainment Weekly |date= September 26, 2023 |url-status= live |access-date= December 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117163845/https://ew.com/movies/may-december-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-may-kay-letourneau-douglas-sirk-inspirations/ |archive-date=November 17, 2023 }} Legrand was credited along with Zarvos.
Release
In February 2023, Sky Cinema acquired the UK distribution rights.{{cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/sky-adds-michael-mann-todd-haynes-films-to-2023-originals-slate/5178696.article|title=Sky adds Michael Mann, Todd Haynes films to 2023 originals slate|last=Parfitt|first=Orlando|work=Screen International|date=February 1, 2023|accessdate=May 16, 2023|archive-date=March 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323183029/https://www.screendaily.com/news/sky-adds-michael-mann-todd-haynes-films-to-2023-originals-slate/5178696.article|url-status=live}} The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival,{{Cite web |title=The films of the Official Selection 2023 |url=https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/press/press-releases/the-films-of-the-official-selection-2023/ |access-date=April 13, 2023 |website=Festival de Cannes |date=April 13, 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=April 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413135452/https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/press/press-releases/the-films-of-the-official-selection-2023/ |url-status=live }} where it premiered on May 20, 2023.{{Cite web |last=mraultpauillac |date=May 10, 2023 |title=The Screenings Guide of the 76th Festival de Cannes |url=https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2023/the-screenings-guide-of-the-76th-festival-de-cannes/ |access-date=May 10, 2023 |website=Festival de Cannes |language=en-US |archive-date=May 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230510161350/https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2023/the-screenings-guide-of-the-76th-festival-de-cannes/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Galuppo |first=Mia |date=2023-05-21 |title=Cannes: Todd Haynes Movie May December Gets Warm Reception |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/cannes-reaction-todd-haynes-movie-may-december-1235496986/ |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |archive-date=June 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606005528/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/cannes-reaction-todd-haynes-movie-may-december-1235496986/ |url-status=live }} In May 2023, Netflix acquired the North American distribution rights at the Marché du Film for $11 million.{{cite web|last1=Fleming|first1=Mike Jr.|last2=Wiseman|first2=Andreas|title=Netflix Lands Todd Haynes' Buzzy Cannes Competition Film 'May December' In Splashy $11M North American Rights Deal|url=https://deadline.com/2023/05/netflix-cannes-todd-haynes-may-december-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-11-million-deal-1235376618/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=May 23, 2023|access-date=May 23, 2023|archive-date=May 31, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531003316/https://deadline.com/2023/05/netflix-cannes-todd-haynes-may-december-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-11-million-deal-1235376618/|url-status=live}} The film also screened as the "Opening Night Film" at the 2023 New York Film Festival on September 29.{{Cite web |last=Rubin |first=Rebecca |date=July 11, 2023 |title='May December,' Starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, to Open New York Film Festival |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/may-december-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-new-york-film-festival-opening-night-1235665911/ |access-date=July 31, 2022 |website=Variety |archive-date=July 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230730181424/https://variety.com/2023/film/news/may-december-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-new-york-film-festival-opening-night-1235665911/ |url-status=live }}
The film was released in select U.S. theaters on November 17, 2023, before streaming on Netflix in the U.S. and Canada on December 1.{{Cite web |title=Peek Inside 'May December' with an Eerie New Trailer |url=https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/may-december-release-date-news-trailer |access-date=2023-09-27 |website=Netflix Tudum |language=en}} It was released by Sky Cinema in the United Kingdom on December 8.{{Cite web |date=2023-11-30 |last=Simmons|first=Roxy|title=Everything new on Sky and NOW in December 2023 from Genie to A Very Brassic Christmas |url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/what-to-watch-on-sky-now-in-december-2023-105858002.html |access-date=2023-12-02 |website=Yahoo! News}}
Reception
=Critical response=
May December received critical acclaim.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:{{Cite web |last=Brueggemann |first=Tom |date=2023-12-11 |title='Killers of the Flower Moon' Goes to PVOD Before AppleTV+, Ousting 'Oppenheimer' as #1 |url=https://www.indiewire.com/news/box-office/killers-of-the-flower-moon-pvod-appletv-oppenheimer-1234934280/ |access-date=2023-12-12 |website=IndieWire |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Tabberer |first=Jamie |date=2023-12-08 |title=May December's Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore on films about films and their dream roles |url=https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/film/news/may-decembers-natalie-portman-and-julianne-moore-on-films-about-films-and-their-dream-roles-35612/ |access-date=2023-12-09 |website=Rolling Stone UK |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Brueggemann |first=Tom |date=2023-12-08 |title=From 'Poor Things' to 'American Fiction,' 2023 Gives the Specialized Platform Release Its Last, Best Shot |url=https://www.indiewire.com/news/box-office/poor-things-american-fiction-specialized-hit-1234932684/ |access-date=2023-12-09 |website=IndieWire |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |first=Patrick |last=Cremona |date=2023-12-08 |title=Julianne Moore on exploring her "challenging" May December character |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/julianne-moore-may-december-character-exclusive-newsupdate/ |access-date=2023-12-09 |website=Radio Times |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |first=Brittany |last=Wong |date=2023-12-08 |title=How 'May December' Unpacks The Insidious Way Grooming Works |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-may-december-unpacks-the-insidious-way-grooming-works_l_65723a1ee4b001ec86a76278 |access-date=2023-12-09 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}{{Cite web |first=Jacob |last=Stolworthy |date=2023-12-02 |title=Netflix users confused as 'masterpiece' movie arrives in US – but not in UK |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/may-december-netflix-uk-when-b2457305.html |access-date=2023-12-02 |website=The Independent}}{{Cite web |last=McNab |first=Kaitlyn |date=2023-12-01 |title=Here's Everything Coming to Netflix in December |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/whats-coming-to-netflix-december-2023 |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=Teen Vogue}}{{Cite web |last=Caruso |first=Skyler |date=November 30, 2023 |title=Everything to Know About May December |url=https://people.com/may-december-everything-to-know-8409175 |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=People}}{{Cite web |last1=Cremona |first1=Patrick |last2=Hibbs |first2=James |date=November 29, 2023 |title=New on Netflix UK December 2023: All the upcoming shows and films |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/new-on-netflix-uk/ |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=Radio Times |archive-date=November 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231127200933/https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/new-on-netflix-uk/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Barquin |first=Juan |date=2023-11-15 |title=May December Director Todd Haynes on the Dangers of Attraction |url=https://www.them.us/story/may-december-todd-haynes-interview |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=Them |archive-date=November 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116030919/https://www.them.us/story/may-december-todd-haynes-interview |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Chase |first=Stephanie |date=2023-09-05 |title=First teaser for Natalie Portman's critically acclaimed new movie May December |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/trailers/a45013349/natalie-portman-julianne-moore-may-december-teaser/ |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=Digital Spy |archive-date=October 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231011043925/https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/trailers/a45013349/natalie-portman-julianne-moore-may-december-teaser/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Waheed |first=Jabeen |date=2023-06-01 |title=May December is the controversial age-gap melodrama that has won Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore Oscar buzz |url=https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/may-december-release-date-trailer |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=Glamour |archive-date=June 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601135157/https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/may-december-release-date-trailer |url-status=live }}}} {{Rotten Tomatoes prose|91|7.8|322|consensus=Swaddling its difficult fact-based story in a blanket of campy humor, May December is a seductively discomfiting watch.|access-date=April 3, 2024|ref=y}} {{Metacritic film prose|86|53|ref=yes|access-date=December 1, 2023}}
In his review following its Cannes premiere, Peter Debruge of Variety called May December an "endlessly fascinating movie" and added, "As layered and infinitely open-to-interpretation as any of [Haynes's] films, it's also the most generous and direct [...] The potential for passion, transformation and subversion hangs heavy in the air".{{Cite web |last=Debruge |first=Peter |date=2023-05-20 |title=May December Review: Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore Play Different Angles on a Tabloid Enigma |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/may-december-review-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-todd-haynes-1235619614/ |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=Variety |archive-date=September 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230921122103/https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/may-december-review-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-todd-haynes-1235619614/ |url-status=live }} David Ehrlich of IndieWire called the film "a heartbreakingly sincere piece of high camp that teases real human drama from the stuff of tabloid sensationalism", and praised Melton's "well-modulated and eventually rather moving performance" and Moore's "predictably sensational, soft-hard performance".{{Cite web |last=Ehrlich |first=David |date=2023-05-20 |title=May December Review: Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore Get Reflective in Haynes' Deliciously Campy Drama |url=https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/may-december-review-natalie-portman-todd-haynes-1234865750/ |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=IndieWire |archive-date=November 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129195104/https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/may-december-review-natalie-portman-todd-haynes-1234865750/ |url-status=live }} The Guardian{{'s}} Peter Bradshaw found the film "amusing and elegant [...] delivered with a cool, shrewd precision by Todd Haynes" and described Portman and Moore's performances as containing "a potent frenmity".{{Cite web |last=Bradshaw |first=Peter |date=2023-05-21 |title=May December review – Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman potent in Highsmithian drama |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/may/21/may-december-review-julianne-moore-and-natalie-portman-potent-in-highsmithian-drama |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=The Guardian |archive-date=November 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231124092707/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/may/21/may-december-review-julianne-moore-and-natalie-portman-potent-in-highsmithian-drama |url-status=live }}
Bilge Ebiri of Vulture called May December "very funny and light on its feet, but also a deeply uncomfortable movie", writing that Haynes "uses the trappings of camp to draw attention to the disconnect between what's happening onscreen and our response to it", and concluding: "It feels at times like the director himself [is] looking for the right tone with which to tell this story. He doesn't know exactly how to feel about all this. So he feels all the things, and makes sure we do, too."{{Cite web |last=Ebiri |first=Bilge |date=2023-05-22 |title=Todd Haynes's May December Is a Deeply Uncomfortable Movie |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/todd-hayness-may-december-is-a-deeply-uncomfortable-movie.html |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=Vulture |archive-date=September 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927122457/https://www.vulture.com/article/todd-hayness-may-december-is-a-deeply-uncomfortable-movie.html |url-status=live }}
Rolling Stone{{'}}s CT Jones praised Melton's performance, noting his skill and physicality in the role. "It's an inscrutable well of interpersonal grievances, power imbalances, and history, a perfect breeding ground for sharp work from screen icons Portman and Moore, the latter in her fifth film with Haynes," they wrote. "But while the two are competing to see how much cringe and humor one can conceivably fit into a movie about sexual assault and grooming, there's Melton off to the side, quietly stealing the show."{{cite magazine |last1=Jones |first1=CT |title=Charles Melton Is the Biggest Surprise This Awards Season |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/charles-melton-interview-may-december-oscars-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-riverdale-1234917450/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=December 6, 2023 |publisher=Penske Media |access-date=7 December 2023}}
Carlos Boyero of El País wrote that Todd Haynes's approach to telling the story "makes it petty, and pointlessly pretentious".{{Cite web|url=https://english.elpais.com/culture/2024-02-23/may-december-im-not-even-curious.html|website=El País|author-link=Carlos Boyero|title='May December': I'm not even curious|date=February 23, 2024|first=Carlos|last=Boyero}}
Filmmakers Robert Eggers, Kitty Green, Bill Hader, Don Hertzfeldt, Laurel Parmet and Jeff Rowe cited May December as among their favorite films of 2023.{{cite web |date=December 31, 2023 |title=38 Directors Pick Their Favorite Films of 2023 |url=https://www.indiewire.com/gallery/directors-best-movies-tv-2023|website=IndieWire}}
=Accolades=
May December was ranked tenth in Sight and Sound{{'}}s list of the 50 best films of 2023, out of 363 films nominated by 106 British and international participants.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-08 |title=The 50 best films of 2023 |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/polls/50-best-films-2023 |access-date=2023-12-12 |website=BFI |language=en}} In France, Cahiers du Cinéma placed it second on their top 10 films of 2024.{{Cite web |last=Pearce |first=Leonard |date=2024-11-28 |title=Cahiers du cinéma’s Top 10 Films of 2024 Includes Misericordia, Evil Does Not Exist, and Trap |url=https://thefilmstage.com/cahiers-du-cinemas-top-10-films-of-2024-includes-misericordia-evil-does-not-exist-and-trap/ |access-date=2024-11-28 |language=en-US}} Some critics opined that there was an omission of acting nominations for Portman, Melton and Moore at the 96th Academy Awards,{{Cite magazine |date=2024-01-24 |title=16 Big Snubs from the 2024 Oscar Nominations |url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-tv/g46509177/2024-oscar-nomination-snubs/ |access-date=2024-03-01 |magazine=Harper's BAZAAR |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Juneau |first=Jan |date=January 23, 2024 |title=May December Charles Melton Left Out of Best Supporting Actor Race at 2024 Oscars |url=https://people.com/oscars-2024-charles-melton-snubbed-for-nomination-may-december-8547876 |access-date=2024-03-01 |website=People |language=en}}{{Cite web |last1=Gilchrist |first1=Todd |last2=Riley |first2=Jenelle |date=2024-01-23 |title=Oscars Snubs and Surprises: Greta Gerwig Shut Out for Directing 'Barbie,' Margot Robbie and Charles Melton Out of Acting Races |url=https://variety.com/2024/awards/awards/oscar-nominations-snubs-surprises-2024-greta-gerwig-1235882250/ |access-date=2024-03-01 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} despite being nominated at other major awards associations. EJ Dickson of Rolling Stone cited the Academy's pattern to exclude actors of Asian descent and their lack of acknowledgement to performers under the age of 40 as the reasons Melton was not nominated.{{Cite magazine |last=Dickson |first=EJ |date=2024-01-23 |title=Why Charles Melton's Oscar Snub for 'May December' Really Stings |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/charles-melton-oscars-snub-may-december-child-sexual-abuse-asian-americans-1234952542/ |access-date=2024-03-01 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}
Notes
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References
{{reflist}}
External links
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- {{IMDb title}}
- {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
- {{Metacritic film}}
{{Todd Haynes}}
Category:2023 black comedy films
Category:2023 independent films
Category:2023 romantic drama films
Category:2020s English-language films
Category:American films based on actual events
Category:American independent films
Category:American satirical films
Category:American romantic drama films
Category:English-language romantic drama films
Category:Netflix original films
Category:Films about child sexual abuse
Category:Films directed by Todd Haynes
Category:Films produced by Christine Vachon
Category:Films produced by Natalie Portman
Category:Films produced by Will Ferrell
Category:Films scored by Marcelo Zarvos
Category:Films set in Savannah, Georgia
Category:Films shot in Savannah, Georgia
Category:Gloria Sanchez Productions films
Category:Romantic drama films based on actual events