May December Review: Impeccable Performances Not Overshadowed By Tone

Warning May December spoilers ahead. Proceed with caution.

I initially watched an early screening of May December at the Chicago International Film Festival. Then, I rewatched it to really absorb the layers of this complex tale.

The performances make May December a captivating viewing experience. Charles Melton especially gives a career-making performance. It’s not easy for an up-and-coming actor to stand out while acting next to powerhouses Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore.

Melton not only stands out but often steals the show.

His character Joe is purposefully quiet.

The silence that comes from the character demonstrates a few important aspects of his story. First, it allows his louder moments (such as his breakdown towards the end of the movie) to connect with you.

It’s not just in what Joe says but the releasing of his composure, of his anger and hurt. He’s tired of being quiet.

Joe is an innocent 30-something.

This makes him a contradiction because his ordeal forced him to grow up quickly and endure trauma. Yet, his abuse as a child keeps him sort of in limbo.

He’s an adult but still childlike because he was dragged into adulthood while still developing. Joe almost feels like a kid wearing adulthood as a costume. Gracie’s suffocating nature also doesn’t allow further development beyond her orbit.

Joe can only grow as far as she allows him.

Melton breaks your heart (and may make some laugh) as he has these moments where he completely comes off as juvenile. Some of those instances also highlight the complex unlikeableness of Elizabeth and Gracie.

They both sometimes treat him like a child when manipulating him.

Joe’s quietness also works as a metaphor for being silenced as a victim. He is the victim of this story. This makes Gracie’s claims of Joe being in control of their sexual relationship laughable (and played for laughs), but also tough to stomach.

You can just assume she has told him this many times to keep him from fully realizing his victimization.

There aren’t many movies that show male victims, especially ones who are prey to women. Therefore, May December deserves praise for tackling this tough topic (even if done in a camp manner).

The movie never allows you to forget Joe has been victimized. He has so many big and small devastating moments. The uncomfortableness of Gracie and Joe’s union reads loud and clear.

You feel it in every frame and every interaction.

May December is also about narcissistic unlikable women. Portman and Moore fully embrace these roles. Gracie’s villainy is more obvious and showy. However, Elizabeth’s comes out in more subtle ways.

She doesn’t care about telling the truth. She’s hoping this performance will put her on the map, and maybe gain her award-season attention.

Elizabeth — not to the same extent as Gracie — takes advantage and uses Joe. Gracie and Elizabeth are morphing into each other in the worst ways.

It’s simplistic to say that these women are evil. They aren’t morally upstanding people and fairly terrible humans, but they have depth.

Gracie’s terribleness may stem from her trauma. She may be a made monster, not a born one.

Elizabeth’s ambition makes her throw her morality out the door. However, in some moments, you can see she’s appalled by Gracie’s behavior. She also does seem to want to help Joe.

Elizabeth doesn’t want him trapped in this marriage.

May December shows complex people who hurt others. They do it for their sense of pleasure, twisted righteousness, and selfish joy. They also have scars that run deep.

The performances and depth of the characters give May December its spark. However, the comedic tone and pacing didn’t quite work.

Some people will either find this film amusing and enjoy the campy nature. Others may find the things that are played for laughs awkward and tonally questionable. This film doesn’t quite fit in the black comedy genre.

Therefore, it exists in some new genre that doesn’t quite work completely as a drama or as a comedy.

It feels like the movie wants to be a drama that experiments with comedy. This allows it to excel in the dramatic parts but distract viewers with the comedy.

May December has a fascinating premise that presents an interesting way to tell this story. Therefore, it didn’t need the extra layer of campiness to make it more digestible. The film already had all it needed with the brilliant acting and unique plot.

This movie is supposed to be uncomfortable but the comedy doesn’t add to that aspect. It sometimes takes away from it.

May December is a very captivating movie with lots of clever nuances but could have been better if it allowed itself to fully embrace its dramatic nature.

What did you think of  May December? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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May December streams on Netflix on December 1. 

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