May December

Directed by Todd Haynes, May December follows an actress (Natalie Portman’s Elizabeth) as she arrives at the home of a notorious couple (Julianne Moore’s Gracie and Charles Melton’s Joe) to do research for an upcoming role. Filmmaker Haynes, armed with Samy Burch’s screenplay, delivers a slow-paced yet mostly compelling drama that benefits from its superb performances, as stars Portman and Moore offer up excellent work that goes a long way towards sustaining the viewer’s interest from start to finish – although it’s ultimately clear that Melton’s often hypnotic turn remains a clear and ongoing highlight within the proceedings. (The actor’s portrayal of Joe as a defeated, almost childlike figure is fascinating, to say the least). And while Haynes has packed the picture with a number of compelling, stand-out sequences, including a terrific interlude wherein Portman’s character delivers an emotional monologue straight into the camera, May December‘s exceedingly (and sometimes excessively) deliberate execution admittedly does prevent the viewer from wholeheartedly connecting to the material on a continuous basis – which does, in the end, cement the movie’s place as a solid piece of work that’s perhaps not quite as effective (or affecting) as one might’ve hoped.

*** out of ****