May December, Netflix film: Plot, cast, trailer, photos

Ppromises to make you cry and reflect May December, the new film from Todd Haynes, which will appear on Netflix upon release. Melodrama and disappointment characterize the story of a woman who, years later, revisits her marriage and her life with her scandalous husband.

May December is a new film directed by Todd Haynes, which will soon debut on Netflix (in the US, December 1, in Italy after the theatrical performance thanks to Lucky Red) with Natalie Portman, who plays the most difficult role of her life: that of Julianne Moore. New work by the director Carol in fact, it tells the story of Elizabeth (Portman), a television actress who is preparing to play the role of Gracie (Moore), a woman whose relationship with a younger man several years ago scandalized public opinion.

As Elizabeth seeks inspiration when she meets Gracie, the past begins to intrude on the present and long-forgotten feelings take over in a film that, judging by the trailer, skillfully combines melodrama and disappointment.

Plot of the film

The Netflix film was entered into competition at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. May December sees famed television actress Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) travel to Savannah, Georgia to better explore the events that inspired her new film based on a “scandalous” love story.

We are talking about the relationship between Gracie (Julianne Moore) and Korean-American Joe (Charles Melton), who was closely watched by the press and the whole country twenty years ago. Invariably present on the pages of gossip columns, Gracie and Joe aroused the interest of sensible people due to the difference in age: Joe at that time was much younger than Gracie (she was only 13 years old), who also went to prison for this reason. after they were caught together.

After her release, the couple married and together they had three children who are about to graduate from high school. At first glance, their unconventional marriage seems more normal and predictable to Elizabeth than she expected. However, his presence and observations soon bring long-dormant feelings to the surface, and a scandal that occurred decades earlier exposes wounds that have not yet healed.

According to the director Todd HaynesNetflix movie May December “Explores one of humanity’s greatest talents: the colossal refusal to look at oneself. All families and lives are the result of very specific choices, and investigating them is always a risky endeavor, especially when they are overwhelmed by the scorn and unanimous judgment of the world. The cracks do not heal, and Elizabeth soon realizes this when the honest portrait of history she hopes to paint reveals a truth clouded by her own ambitions and assumptions.”

Tripartite investigation

Netflix movie May December Essentially, it centers on three characters called upon to reconsider their position and their very existence.

The most difficult figure is that of Gracie Atherton-Yu, who was brought to the stage Julianne Moore (for the fifth time, directed by Todd Haynes). Twenty years after Gracie was jailed for what she claimed was an affair with 13-year-old Joe, Gracie later married the boy and remained steadfast and true to the life they had built together. However, something continues to simmer inside her: she is not as collected as she seems, and, most importantly, she does not have such complete control over her existence. During Elizabeth’s visit, her façade begins to crumble, revealing how fragile she truly is.

Elizabeth brought on stage Natalie Portman, traveled all the way to Savannah to explore the daily lives of Gracie and Joe. She needs this to play a woman in an independent film about their scandalous romance. Initially curious and open-minded, she is driven by a desire to learn more about the relationship, but gradually her motives sometimes become questionable, causing her presence to reveal the couple’s differences.

Joe, played by Charles Melton, he is now thirty-six years old. Gracie’s quiet husband, he has never lost his childish side despite being the father of three children who are about to leave home for school. He always seemed to go with the flow, but was afraid of losing control of his life. However, Elizabeth’s visit causes him to question both his marriage and the life he has built with his wife. For the first time since he met Gracie as a child, he begins to question whether his life is the one he truly wanted for himself.