May December review: Hazy morality and melodrama become gripping cinema | LFF 2023

May December is a complex and uncomfortable character study of an abusive woman in power. Despite having thematic similarities to last year’s Oscar success Tár, it approaches the subject of improper power in an entirely different tone. Part melodrama part hazy morality study, the film expertly manoeuvres from comedic to severe as it tackles the sensitive topic of sexual assault.

Actress Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) is studying ex-tabloid subject Gracie (Julianne Moore) and her husband Joe for a film she is set to be in. Taking place over 20 years on from Joe and Gracie’s initial illicit sexual encounter when they were aged 13 and over 30 respectively, May December engages in deeply unsettling questions of consent and assault. Yet it never spoon-feeds the audience simple answers and refuses to portray issues with the clarity of black and white. 

A grainy quality is imprinted on the film’s image throughout, making it feel almost ethereal and serving to blur and grey matters further. Amongst this haze, the film employs rich detail, an example of which can be seen through intricate close-ups of Joe’s cultivated monarch butterflies. These particular shots are symbolic of the ways in which small details feed back onto larger narratives, deftly conjuring ideas of predators, prey and rebirth. 

May December also implicates the media in its treatment of such serious issues whilst Elizabeth promises Gracie that her film will be different and represent something ‘real’. This somewhat tongue-in-cheek commentary on tabloids, TV dramas and also perhaps on itself creates a fascinating extra layer to the already compelling story. 

The drama in the film is propelled by a recurring deep piano refrain, often accompanying a menacing gaze or an unsettling phrase. It plays to its own rhythms and at times almost loses its tonal balance but it grips your attention and leaves you affected by its haze. 

4/5

May December will be released in select theatres on November 17 and will be available on Sky Cinema from December 8 2023.