After winning in Cannes in 2015 with Carol, Todd Haynes is back in competition with May December, again with two female leads and again dealing with sexuality and manipulation. While not as strong as Carol, May December is an intriguing, if ultimately disappointing film.
The film opens with actress Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) arriving in Savannah to delve into the real life of the woman she is about to portray on screen. Grace (Julianne Moore) is her subject, specifically Grace’s relationship with a 13-year-old boy Joe (Charles Melton) when she was 36. Grace was imprisoned and gave birth to a daughter behind bars. She was also placed on the national sex offender register. On release, her relationship with Joe continued. Cut to the present, and the married couple are living in their hometown with teenage twins, the older daughter already away at college.
