May December (2023)

An actress (Natalie Portman) travels to Savannah, Georgia to spend some time with a woman (Julianne Moore) she is going to portray in a film. The woman has a controversial past that caused a scandal when at the age of 36, she had an affair with a 13 year old boy. After serving time in prison, they got married. Directed by Todd Haynes (FAR FROM HEAVEN), the film is suggested by but not based on the Mary Kay Letourneau affair and subsequent marriage after she served a prison sentence as a sex offender. It's an uncomfortable watch and for much of the film I wondered just where Haynes was going. Ultimately, it's a very tragic story although some reviewers referred to the film as humorous. The three leads (the third is Charles Melton who plays the husband) are excellent. Haynes makes no judgement of the characters although the morality of the initial relationship is addressed. A line had been crossed that should never have happened and its damage is present in the couple's contemporary lives. Surprisingly, it's Portman's actress that comes off the worst. She seems predatory and manipulative. Michel Legrand's score to THE GO BETWEEN has been adapted to underscore the film. With Cory Michael Smith and Elizabeth Yu.