May December
2023
****½
Director: Todd Haynes
Cast: Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Charles Melton, Piper Curda, Cory Michael Smith, Gabriel Chung, Elizabeth Yu, D.W. Moffett, Graham Norris, Kelly Blatz
Elizabeth, a famous TV actress, travels to Savannah, Georgia to study Gracie, a notorious woman she is about to portray in a film. More than 20 years ago, Gracie was sentenced to prison for molesting Joe, a 13-year-old boy, who is now her husband. Todd Haynes' subtle and brilliantly constructed psychological drama features three wonderful performances. Natalie Portman is hypnotic as the manipulative Elizabeth, whose every question feels like a trap, Julianne Moore is reliably terrific as the self-deluding and attention-seeking Gracie, and Charles Melton is a revelation as the emotionally damaged Joe, who is about come apart. Samy Burch's script is loosely based on the case of Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau.
