May December

A vaguely decent if somewhat middling film about an actress who spends a few weeks with a woman she’s going to be playing in a movie. It’s fine. If nothing else, it features excellent performances from Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore (with a supporting turn from Charles Melton that is, surprisingly, just as good). But otherwise, nothing here ever rises above a simmer. It feels like a feature-length “for your consideration” reel for its (admittedly very good!) performances. Todd Haynes does his best to inject the film with style (distractingly at times, particularly in its overbearing score), and, sure. It exists. It has some style. It’s fine.

**1/2 out of ****