Director Todd Haynes has a preternatural gift of turning tawdry dishiness into something close to high art. Veering dexterously between social drama and black comedy, the 2023 film felt almost like Ingmar Bergman's "Persona" in presenting Elizabeth Berry, a successful actress who spends time with a deceptively sunny woman named Gracie who notoriously seduced Joe, a 13-year-old boy 23 years before. Joe and Gracie have been married all these years and are now preparing for their twins' high school graduation. Portraying Gracie in an upcoming indie film, Elizabeth insinuates herself into their lives and you can figure out the rest from the awkward situations and conversations that ensue. Both leads deliver the goods with emotional precision. Julianne Moore, Haynes' muse, plays Gracie with unsettling calm, and Natalie Portman nicely captures Elizabeth's cynical ambition and veiled sincerity. However, Charles Melton turns out to be the film's standout accurately conveying the tentative man-child that defines the perpetually uncertain Joe. Eminently watchable.
Review of May December
