Filmmaker Todd Haynes, the Douglas Sirk of postmodern melodrama, does it again with full blown intention—soap opera piano strikes included. There are necessary moments of campy humor, cringy graveness, and empathy on the fringe. Julianne Moore can melt a heart with her “I am naive” line, but there’s a yearning for more—something beyond the surface-level revelations of script paper. It’s a sexually rabid captivation, bred by similar personas and emotionally stretched masterpieces in Carol (2015) and Far from Heaven (2002). I just wish there was more fulfillment to Moore’s character and less on Natalie Portman’s obsession with it. It’s as if Hollywood wore out its welcome.
May December (2023) ***1/2 out of *****
What did you think?
What is your favorite Todd Haynes flick?
I’d go with Safe (1995)—a subtle thriller/drama about a woman’s (brilliant Julianne Moore again) struggle with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCI). Or, is it a case of Hypochondria run rampant? Either way, Haynes rightfully remains empathetic, observant, and painfully ambiguous.
Reely Bernie 
May December frustrates me because I find it to be imprecise and timid, Todd Haynes’ missed opportunity to get under the skin of a provocative topic. Too much soap suds.
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Thank you for thoughts, “lifeinthedark.” To me, the ambiguity and “soap suds” is the point. It’s lush melodrama for the sake of lush melodrama. I’m assuming you didn’t like “Far From Heaven.” I think the syrup isn’t for everyone. My parents hated this one, haha!
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I saw this flick last year at the cinema and I regret not having responded to your post much earlier. I think 3.5 stars is about where I’d have it. I saw the Black Swan again last night which I imagine you have seen and I thought about her portrayal here as well as in other movies like ‘Jackie’. Portman’s obviously a stand-out emotionally charged and physically talented actor, but she somehow grates on me because the roles she plays for the most part (at least from what I recall) are so self absorbed and a little presumptuous. Otherwise I liked the movie because it was a subject matter I hadn’t seen delved into before by two great actors of this era.
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Love “Black Swan” https://reelybernie.com/2023/07/15/reely-bernie-faves-black-swan-2010/
Probably my favorite Portman movie. But, you’re right—her recent roles have been grating, self-absorbed, and bitter. I’m also sad she had to resort to so many facial adjustments.
Wish me luck today: Trenching and irrigation on the back lawn. It’s been a summer, to say the least!
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It sounds like you have your work cut out. Good luck with all that.
We seem to be in general agreement about our criticism of Portman’s acting. I liked ‘Black Swan’ a lot the first time I saw it, but I’m afraid I don’t find much to like in revisits. And what’s with all the shatters of glass that make my so ill at ease? Having said all this she’s already got a best actress gong and earns more money than I can imagine, so I should probably keep my trap shut. Haha
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I saw the trailer, which surprisingly, didn’t give too much away, was mildly intrigued because of the cast mostly, and decided to research a little before I committed … I’m afraid the ‘ick’ factor was too much for me. I think I settled on a rewatch of The Core, which was a bit of mindless fun with some cool effects. 😀
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The summer is the perfect time for “mindless fun” pertaining to movies.
Yeah, the old “ick” factor—sometimes intriguing, sometimes too much. I getcha 😉
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I didn’t think I ever saw this but I did somewhere…I remembered after I watched the trailer.
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Haha! Too many late nights at the screen, Max. Hope you enjoyed your break/hiatus. I’m sneaking movies in between landscaping. Do you have a trencher I can borrow? Hehe
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LOL… good luck on that! No I was working through that time…not much enjoyment this time!
Well Wednesday I’m starting something that will run for a while maybe. “Max’s Drive-In Movies”….I’m going to look back at 60s and 70s movies that were really big at the drive ins. I thought that would be fun.
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Love that idea, Max! Gosh, the sad thing is—all of the drive-ins I watched movies with my dad are now gone. During COVID, I went to a Colorado mountain hotel (forgot the name) that had a view of its screen from your bed!
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We have one around an hour or so away.
Oh that is cool about the hotel!
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I miss it—even the cheap, gigantic speakers you put on your window. I did get to see E.T. at the drive-in 🙂
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Yea I miss them also…and riding in the trunk to get in so my sister wouldn’t have to pay for me lol… now that was cool that you got to see that there.
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“Safe” is so weird but consistently fascinating. I came to the conclusion that Moore’s character is afraid of everything having to do with living as a human!
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This is John, “The Quick Flick Critic”, by the way. Hey Hey!
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John, so good to hear from you! Yeah, I had less of a heart for her character at first viewing. Then, I researched that this “disease” is real and does have a following and support group. So odd, cognitive, sad, and sincere.
Hope all is well! Wanna landscape our backyard for me?
Haha!
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long as it’s not 98 degrees like here in the South Puget Sound!
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93 in Parker, CO 🙂 Only gonna get hotter though. Trenches are dug. Wanna help with irrigation? 🙂
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6 pack of cold Coors and I’m there compadre!🍻😎
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Now you’re talking, bud!
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Also, John, will you please send me a link to your blog and YouTube. I’ve been out of the loop since we moved, and I’ve lost all my saved follows. Much appreciated and stay cool!
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Great reviews as always. I have heard amazing things about this movie but never got around to watching it. I do find the premise behind the movie to be very interesting. Age-gap romance is a sensitive subject which has often made for memorable movies. I also am excited to see this movie because of the main actresses. I’ve always been a fan of Julianne Moore. I appreciated Moore’s performance in “The Hours”. An underrated film capturing mental health issues faced by women. Moore played a similar mentally disturbed woman in that film. So, I will definitely keep “May December” on my list of movies to see.
Here’s my thoughts on “The Hours”:
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