May December

"An uncomfy watch that manages to be equal parts camp and drama. The performances are what really shine- Charles Melton 👏 "

"⭐️ 3.5/5 ⭐️ I “get” the #mixed_reviews here — Yes, this movie is a #strange one — it’s overly dramatic (somewhat campy), with somewhat annoying & repetitive whacko piano music 🎶🎹🤦‍♀️ and the pace might not be quick enough for some, HOWEVER, the #performances are solid, & I found the #dialogue “interesting” — It’s basically a #characterstudy & the movie loosely #mimics the #real_life, #scandalous & #troubling story of Mary Kay Letourneau, a 34-year-old woman who initiated a sexual relationship with her 12-year-old student. ~ Read more here if you don’t know that story: https://www.biography.com/crime/mary-kay-letourneau-vili-fualaau-wedding-anniversary-scandal This #drama stars Julianne Moore as the former sex offender, & Charles Melton as her much younger husband, while Natalie Portman plays an actress who is preparing for a role in a movie about their relationship. The feel of the story is #unsettling due to the fact that the actions of Portman’s character turns dubious or not exactly honest & slightly suspicious 🤨 (that’s the interesting part). On the down side, there’s not much of a plot, nor does the ending leave you with any solid answers regarding these 3 complex characters & the unusual dynamic between the MAY DECEMBER couple."

"This movie is a tragically poetic tale of trauma and the effect it has on one’s life and psyche. I felt sick for most of it, with a giant pit in my stomach. Watching Elizabeth slowly start to emulate Gracie, from the way she spoke to how she dressed to how she did her make up to how she reacted to the world around her, was chilling. Natalie Portman has such a knack for portraying an obsessed artist and she shines here, especially in the monologue letter scene. I love Julianne Moore but it was honestly hard watch her as Gracie. She was so disgustingly manipulative to Joe, constantly telling him what to do and twisting the narrative of her abuse to paint herself as an innocent naive young woman seduced into an affair. Her monitoring how many drinks Joe’s had in her first line to him sums up their dynamic succinctly. I knew the direction their relationship was going immediately just from that. Speaking of Joe, Charles Melton commanded every scene he was in. I held my breath every time he was on screen. Everything he did from the way he talked to the way he held himself illustrated how Joe was simply a 13 year old trapped in a man’s body. How he was stuck at the age that Gracie abused at. The tragedy of him now being mentally younger than his children and them having the life that he never had brought me to tears. This was especially prevalent in the scene with Charlie. Charles Melton deserves to be nominated for and win Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars. His performance was stunningly real and heart wrenchingly vulnerable. The whole movie was so symbolic and poetic. The screenplay, the score, even the title “May December.” I could go on and on about this movie’s depths and layers. It’s truly a marvel. "

"There was not a single thing about this that I didn’t love. Todd Haynes has such a strong visual style. He places the camera in a fixed position and doesn’t cut away or move the camera for an extended period of time. Some might view this as overly simplistic cinematography, but I would disagree. The way he frames his characters is extremely bold and allows his actors to shine. Fantastic performances from everyone but especially Natalie Portman. This is one of the best films of the year!"

"Boring. Strange yet the story is mostly uncomfortable almost trying to make you feel it’s ok they’re together just because he was an adult later. Then the bullying part and him in the unhappy relationship. The story really threw me off. Angered me too. The piano oh my overdone with no rationale to it. Julianne Moore as always remarkable actress plays the part so well even for the gross human/character she had to play but Natalie Portman as always flat acting, she could have at least put some effort to her character then again typical of her acting never breathtaking. This could have been a better movie - better story "

"I loved this so much! I loved the old school filming of it and the soundtrack. Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore are spectacular as always. Amazing movie"

"If you're old enough to remember the notorious 1997 case of Mary Kay Letourneau seducing/r4ping her 12-year-old student named Vili Fualaau, then you will see where this movie got its material. Natalie Portman plays an actress set to play the part of Gracie (Julianne Moore's character) in an upcoming movie. She heads to Savannah, Georgia to learn as much as she can about everyone involved in the scandal, especially Gracie. The scandal is that Gracie, at age 36, had an affair with 13-year-old Joe, 24 years prior. She went to prison, had his child while incarcerated, then married him when she got out and he was of age. Then they had twins. She wasn't his teacher but other than that, this movie and the actual case are a LOT alike. "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." WHY??? This show was boring. Supposedly it's full of campy humor. Don't blink or you'll miss it. It wasn't funny. It was barely campy except for a couple of scenes where Natalie Portman's character was trying to channel Julianne Moore's character. The only exceptional acting was by Charles Melton. He was not only excellent, he's also not afraid to show his significant sized "member"! It says explicit nudity at the beginning but his junk was the only nudity in the movie. He could probably have a lucrative job in the p0rn industry! Regardless, he had his acting chops on maximum for this movie. This movie was nominated for a sh1tload of awards. I have no idea why except for Charles Melton, who won a few of the awards he was nominated for. Good for him!"

"Odd."

"3.5 stars - In the end, it felt like the characters were only 50% revealed. That said, what was on screen was intriguing, and the performances were solid."

"4.5⭐️ slow burning, poetic, metaphorical. Leaves a lot up for interpretation, in a good way. Solid performances from all three lead actors. "