Moore, Portman astonish in dramedy inspired by scandal
With many films ripped from tabloid scandal, “I, Tonya” being one example, filmmakers approximate a grabby kind of cinematic tabloid energy while toying with the received public image of its notorious subject. That way, it’s exciting to watch, even if it comes up short in finding any interesting psychological layers or ambiguities.
“May December” succeeds, in its destablizing way, with a different approach. Director Todd Haynes and screenwriter Samy Burch base their fictional story on a real one: that of middle school educator Mary Kay Letourneau, convicted of second-degree rape of one of her sixth grade students, who was 12 when the abuse began. Both real-life parties, Letourneau and Vili Fualaau, used words other than “rape” to rationalize what became a 22-year relationship, which included having two children together, prison time for Letourneau and an ultimate separation in 2019, a year before Letourneau’s death.
Loosely inspired by these events, “May December” goes its own way, adding a major dramatic complication. Julianne Moore plays the fictional Gracie, married with children In this reworking, the scandal begins in a pet store where Gracie works with Joe, played as an adult in Haynes’ film by Charles Melton. In the movie’s present tense, Joe is in his mid-30s; Gracie, 25-odd years older. They live in Savannah, Georgia, and a film biopic is in pre-production on the subject of Gracie and Joe’s saga.
Natalie Portman plays Elizabeth, the actor portraying Gracie. She arrives in Savannah at the start of “May December” on a research outing, having arranged to spend time in close quarters with Gracie, Joe and their kids.
Straight off, in a testy, dodgy phone call with her apparent fiancé, Elizabeth’s capacity for manipulation and self-absorption looms large. And when we get to know Gracie, we see that she, too, has created a life of controlling instincts.
As Elizabeth insinuates herself, Haynes plays the scenario’s machinations for equal parts sly black comedy and pathos that have a way of bursting into anguish. At one point, Gracie, who keeps busy with her life as a baker, melts down over the cancellation of an order.
There’s more to it, of course: She knows that Joe has been spending time with the interloper/interrogator in their midst. Konstantin Stanislavski wrote the book “An Actor Prepares”; “May December” takes it further, with Elizabeth working from a playbook that might be called “An Actor Prepares, Ruthlessly,” her research bleeding into vampirism.
Some scenes truly hurt, as in a dress-shopping sequence (one of Gracie’s daughters is graduating from high school) that Gracie, and Moore, turn into a master class in damaged parenting. All the while, Elizabeth is taking mental notes for her own purposes.
It wobbles some, particularly when Haynes hits a joke too hard: At one point, with Gracie opening the fridge door and taking a long, fraught pause, she tops it with a line about not having enough hot dogs for a cookout. Here and throughout, the musical score by Marcelo Zarvos riffs on the swoony Michel Legrand theme from “The Go-Between.” It’s a bold choice, but the romantic froth has a way of dampening this story’s contours.
Minor matters, though, with performances as good as Moore’s and Portman’s. Yes, “May December” exists in an uncomfortable realm. Haynes isn’t afraid of that, and American movies are better for it.
MPA rating: R (for some sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language)
Running time: 1:57
How to watch: In limited release, streaming Dec. 1 on Netflix