Controversial And Intriguing—Review Of May December (2023)

As Gracie allows this popular stranger into her home to spend time with her family, certain things begin to come to light that inform Elizabeth's mindset towards her role and also topple the seemingly peaceful Atherton family. Will this actress know the true Elizabeth and understand her and the choices she made?

Review

I'll say this is one of the best films I've seen this year. Considering the calibre of the lead actors, I expected nothing less than an outstanding performance. The plot is brilliant and inspired by the Mary Kay Letourneau story that came to light in 1996. Director Todd Haynes did a great job adapting it into a movie. The storytelling is impressively done in a suspenseful and unsettling way that confuses the audience at some points while seeking their judgement on the characters' choices.

I like that the pace is even, not slow or fast, drawing in the audience. The film starts well, entertaining us with this normal family on their normal days. Everything starts to make sense until the truth and emotional state of the characters begin to surface. This approach captivates viewers' attention and makes the film unpredictable.

The casting is perfect in my opinion. I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to portray Gracie and Elizabeth besides Julianna Moore and Natalie Portman. These ladies were well cast and their performances were excellent. Gracie is portrayed as this nice lady, beloved by her friends and neighbours until the fog clears and we see the true person underneath the layer of frailty and naivety.

Natalie Portman as Elizabeth took my breath away with her acting skills. She starts as this cool actress on a mission and soon enough, transforms into this complex character. It's difficult to know if she's acting like Gracie or if her true self is being revealed. The scene where she sleeps with Joe and treats the situation as nothing is shocking but well done.

Another performance I applaud is that of Charles Melton as Joe. He's like the glue that holds the film together. He's strong and wants to be there for Gracie and his children but he's only human and breaks down in an unexpected way. Our hearts go out to him as it's clear that he's struggling and we want to "free" him from a life that is fast spinning out of control. Charles embodied his character perfectly.

This film questions the rightness or wrongness of an adult-minor relationship, choices and throws light on the concept of consent in relationships. No doubt, society changes but should an adult teacher sleeping with a minor be considered normal or "right"? From the teacher's viewpoint, the student loved her, pursued her and that makes it okay in her book. I know many might scream at how "wrong" the relationship is but to this student, it seemed right. This is my definition of a complicated relationship!

As the film unfolds, I see the characters change, revealing their true selves and my sympathies end up with the student. It's popularly said "love knows no gender, age, race or religion" and "age is just a number". Yet I see a character who is struggling but seems unable to find a way out of his predicament. Or maybe he's resigned to his fate? I'll let you be the judge of this when you see the movie. It took my breath away in some scenes and some others were a bit uncomfortable to watch, because of the morality and ethical questions raised.

Overall, May December (2023) is a film worth watching with an open mind. I believe similar situations take place in our society but how we handle such matters a lot. I'll give it 4.2 stars out of 5.

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