‘May December’ Tries to Slow Burn but Never Catches Fire

Now and then, a film comes along that polarizes audiences. To my surprise, May December seems to accomplish this in what appears to be a malignant way. The movie opens with a melodramatic score, almost as if to initiate an unsettled feeling. This loud and obnoxious music, most commonly accompanied by soap operas or dramas, is trying to force you into a feeling that the story may not already be doing. The problem is that this story doesn’t require coercion; the subject matter will drag you into the drama effortlessly, primarily due to its overlooked nature. May December is a hard-to-stomach drama that attempts to address media exploitation and how easily victims can be forgotten, which, coincidentally, mirrors the story itself. 

The logline reads that “two decades after their relationship ignited tabloids, Gracie (Julianne Moore) and Joe (Charles Melton) are now leading a seemingly perfect suburban life and that their bliss is disrupted when a famous actor, Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) arrives to study Gracie for an upcoming role in a film about the scandal.” 

Here’s the truth of the situation — Two decades after Gracie groomed and sexually assaulted Joe, an actor arrives to study Gracie for an upcoming role, and her presence disrupts the family’s delusion by unearthing harmful truths.  Even the title of May December is uncomfortable since the term refers to two people with an age gap. One would hardly call a 36-year-old woman having sex with a 12-year-old as a mere age gap. 

Throughout the film, we see Elizabeth model herself after Gracie. She studies her movements, lisp, how she wears her hair, and how she applies her makeup. That proved to be challenging to watch – Elizabeth’s presence in getting to know Gracie, in channeling Gracie, nailing down who she is with no care to who Gracie is or what she did in stealing this child’s innocence. In fact, in her semi-method preparation of being Gracie in an upcoming film, she didn’t see Joe as a victim and preyed on his vulnerability in the same way that Gracie did. 

Charles Melton, as Joe, is the standout. We see him as a physically mature adult but still a child inside. Gracie has stolen his life, and he doesn’t know how to be a man because he isn’t one. Joe has been groomed and molded since childhood to be what Gracie needed him to be, fulfilling her sadistic desires. As a result, he’s hollow. Melton’s portrayal of Joe’s inner turmoil slowly seeps throughout the film. When we reach the end, he looks like he would have burst entirely open if the film had allowed more time for his exploration. Seeing the entire movie through Joe’s eyes would have been amazing. Yet, we spend so much time on Elizabeth and Gracie that by the time Joe begins to sink into the realization that he’s a victim, he’s overshadowed again.

The film has a slow and steady pace yet never fully arrives until we’re almost to the end. And then it does just that – it ends. There isn’t time or room for the actual situation to be addressed appropriately. Joe doesn’t get any relief, and Gracie is allowed to continue on with her life, unchanged, everything to her liking. This makes the film’s motive unclear. How are we supposed to feel about these characters? What is this message? This relationship isn’t merely a taboo; it’s criminal. Todd Hayne’s direction never pushes to the left or the right, which makes for an ambiguous tone. There’s nothing comedic about it to hail it a dark comedy. Yet, there’s insufficient depth to ground it in a poignant drama. We’re enticed but never thrilled. 

May December does a good job of showcasing how victims are overlooked and forgotten, yet it fails to rectify this issue with a solid message. Some audiences laugh, while others are completely disheveled by how cavalier this situation is portrayed on screen. Charles Melton deserved an opportunity to shine. And his character, Joe, deserved an opportunity to be seen and heard. 

May December is now streaming on Netflix

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars