A forbidden relationship, a related transgression and the exploration of a delicate past… This house and more May Decemberthe new film from director Todd Haynes, whose filmography includes Oscar-winning titles such as: Carol (2015) and Far from heaven (2002). This time it is a feature film about an unconventional marriage with a story full of crime and immorality that an outsider will dust off without foreseeing the consequences.
What is it about?
May December It’s about the meeting of Elizabeth, a famous Hollywood actress, with Gracie, whom the actor is investigating because he is going to play her in a film inspired by her scandalous past. Years ago, Gracie had an affair with an underage boy, which was reported by the media and led to her arrest and imprisonment. After leaving prison, she and Joe – the one with whom she committed statutory rape – married and raised their two children together.
“At first glance, their unconventional marriage seems more predictable than Elizabeth expected. But soon his observation brings long-dormant feelings to the surface and the decades-old scandal reveals ever deeper layers,” reads a summary shared by Netflix (above). “May December is a wonderfully imaginative film about acting and exploitation that combines surreal melodrama with human perception.”
This drama was written by Samy Burcha new screenwriter, with whom the story was also conceived Alex mechanics. The two previously co-wrote several short films and worked in the casting department of various productions.
The occupation
Natalie Portman (Thor: Love and Thunder) And Julianne Moore (Sharper: A perfect plan) lead the cast of May December, in the roles of Elizabeth and Gracie, respectively. accompanies her Charles Melton (Riverdale) like Joe. They also act DW Moffett (Chicago Med), Piper Curda (Legacies), Elizabeth Yu (Avatar the Last Airbender), Cory Michael Smith (Gotham) And Lawrence Arancio (Stupid), among others.
A real story?
After diversityThis new feature film from Todd Haynes, shot over 23 days in Savannah, Georgia last year, is very loosely based on the true story of Mary Kay Letourneau, a California teacher who was convicted by a jury and public opinion at the end of the decade . in the 1990s after having sexual relations with one of his 12-year-old students. The two eventually had children and entered into a marriage that lasted 14 years.
The title of the film comes from the Anglo-Saxon expression “May-December“, which refers to a romantic relationship in which there is a large age difference between the couple.
Originally, it was Natalie Portman who took the script from Samy Burch and sent it to Haynes in 2020, hoping it would be of interest to him. “He has the ability to create tension and drama with very subtle strokes,” the actor commented on the director (via deadline).
May December In it, Portman starred as a producer on the MountainA brand, which she founded in 2021 with her collaborator Sophie Mas. Will Ferrell and Jessica Elbaum also produced through their Gloria Sanchez Productions, as did Christine Vachon and Pam Koffler through their Killer Films label.
When will it premiere?
In the United States, May December will arrive in select theaters on November 17, 2023. It will then appear in the Netflix catalog December 1 of the current year.
Its world premiere was at the recent Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d’Or and received an eight-minute standing ovation. The approval rate is currently 89% Rotten tomatoeswhere it is defined as a “seductively disturbing” film.
Official poster
