To not consider Elizabeth, a villain is an interesting take. that’s the main point they mirror each other. They don’t consider themselves to be the villain in their own story. Yet it’s very obvious for the viewer that they don’t hesitate to cross moral lines for their personal gain. That’s a villain per definition
SPOILERS: Regarding any “trauma” that occurred in Gracie’s life - that was a tactic to continuously keep Elizabeth at a distance. Georgie plants the story, which makes Elizabeth think she understands Gracie’s motive, but ultimately Gracie tells her it was a lie and “insecure people are dangerous.” Gracie says that she is “secure” and she hopes that’s included in the movie. Regarding her voice - It’s a lisp. It’s not strange, just a choice. Regarding knowing more about Gracie - The film purposefully keeps you at a distance so that you identify with Elizabeth trying to unravel Gracie. Giving all the information upfront would lose that thread and undue all of the narrative momentum which is discovering (and continuously failing to discover) what makes Gracie tick. It makes Julianne Moore’s performance all the more magnetic because she has the back story, but she continuously keeps people at a distance in order to have some semblance of power. For example, when Joe confronts her about him being too young when they were together, Gracie turns it back and keeps repeating “Who was in charge?” She knows the game she was playing, and that’s why her final moment with Elizabeth packs such a punch.
just out of curiosity, do you think Gracie was telling the truth when she denied Georgie's claims? I'm still not quite sure what we're supposed to make of that part of the story.
The fact that he stole the show from two Oscar winning actresses that also delivers strong performances (even the advertising material focused mostly only Natalie and Julianne) is a testament how good he was in this movie. Natalie and Julianne were great but this movie belongs to Charles without a doubt
18:16 The previous scene, before Elizabeth arrives, where Gracie and Lydia, tells you she's not exactly happy to have Elizabeth visit, and later on, she tells Joe, "She's getting on my nerves." She's being counterfeit. Pleasant, yes, but not throwing her arms around her. Almost on the nose is Elizabeth arriving holding a small box with something unpleasant... and then she becomes the unpleasant thing in the house. In addition, whatever "pushback" that happens, does so either off-screen or barely hinted. Elizabeth's talk with her ex and attorney do not go unnoticed by Gracie, and Gracie informs Elizabeth that she and George talk almost constantly. They know. It just doesn't have to be explained.
Natalie Portman character was messy just for fun. She was so happy after they did it and reading the letter. I really thought she was gonna kill Julianne Moore at the end. She was CRAZY 😜
I can definitely see only Melton getting nominated. Julianne Moore's got a better shot than Portman due to lack of competition, but her character might be too weird to nominate. Charles Melton is the heart of the movie and the one you sympathize with
Director and Best Actress is so stacked I'm not sure about Haynes and Portman. Supporting Actress has space for Moore. Finally, I can see Melton squeezing into Supporting Actor in that fourth or fifth slot.
The movie definitely hints at the fact that, despite the repercussions, selling their story is a main source of income for them. As they were not pleased with their depiction in the 'movie of the week' lol inviting Elizabeth with open arms (for an assumed prestige movie) could not only mean redemption for them, but also a financial gain
9:45. I don't watch movies for Oscar purposes (the Oscars aren't the sole thing one watches movies for), but Portman landed the role of a lifetime here. She never overdoes it. Her subtle reactions speak volumes.
Fun Fact: The characters Julianne Moore and Charles Melton plays are based on the real-life case of Mary Kay Letourneau and Villi Fualaau. Mary Kay was a 34 year old 6th grade teacher and married mother of four (she was supposed to have five but she miscarried the last one) who had sex with her 12 year old student Villi in 1996. She was arrested in 1997 (she had her fist child with Villi shortly afterwards, Villi's mom got full custody) and plead guilty. She was originally given a suspended jail sentence and was given 7 1/2 years of probation, on the condition that she doesn't contact Villi. No sooner that she got out of jail after being in there for six months, she violated the no contact order and was arrested again in 1998 after being caught with Villi in the car with plans to run away. This time, the judge revoked the suspended sentence and was sentence to 7 1/2 years in prison (she had her second child with Villi while serving her sentence, Villi's mother once again getting full custody), and was ordered to not contact Villi forever. When she got out of prison in 2004, she and Villi petition the court to get rid of the no-contact order because Villi was now 21. They were successful and in 2005, the couple married, with their two children and three of Mary's four children with her ex-husband at attendance. In 2019, Villi filed for a legal separation, the reasons for it are unknown. In July 2020, Mary Kay died of cancer at the age of 58 with Villi and their two kids by her side. In her will, she left most of her estate Villi, so they still loved each other despite the separation.
Mary Kay was a delusional predator. I feel for Vili because he was raped, and forced to be a father while still a child himself. The whole thing is sad.
@@naimahal-azeez1728Cognitive dissonance at work here. He had two children with that woman and he was trauma-bonded to her. That poor man had his childhood taken from him. I hope now he is at peace.
11:28. I much rather go for slight ambiguity. This is the kind of role Isabelle Huppert plays in her sleep. Giving away too much reduces a movie's power and diminishes the actor.
Glad you liked it! Really hope it can sneak in some noms! Interesting point about Gracie. I also left feeling like she was still a bit hard to pin down but I think that’s kind of intentional, like we’re meant to go on this journey of figuring her out in pieces together with the other characters. I guess I see it as more of a feature than a bug.
Great review, Brian! I thought the movie was very unsettling but riveting. Natalie Portman played Elizabeth so well. She's so calculating and manipulative yet you still want to root for her at the same time. Julianne Moore did an excellent job, and yes you do get used to her voice after a while. To play basically a ripped from the headlines version of Mary Kay Latorneau and give her some self-awareness and agency is no mean feat. Though I do agree that just as you think you know her very well, you only just barely touch the surface especially with how Gracie gaslights Joe throughout the film. Charles Melton did a great job and is worthy of a supporting actor nomination. Those very last scenes of his were great. The screenplay was dark but also very funny at times. I could see this movie getting 2-4 nominations tops with Actress, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor, and Original Screenplay. Natalie would deserve a nomination but as you said Lead Actress is incredibly competitive and as always, it'll come down to SAG. Can't wait to see this again on Netflix Friday ❤ Anticipating your Maestro review whenever you get to it 😊
I agree with your 2 criticisms - but I would’ve liked a bit more from the children more specifically the college daughter. I expected her to have a time to sit with Lizzie maybe a scene to get an understanding of Gracie and what it was like to grow up with parents like that. She would’ve been a good gateway into the relationship between Gracie and Joe. Of course, that letter was a gift to Lizzie and really gives us an insight into Gracie at that time. She groomed him and preyed on him. She’s controlling but in a subtle way not to be like a dictator or sort. Natalie was phenomenal in the scene! She knew what she was doing, she already had her mind made up about Gracie going into this so maybe that’s why we didn’t get much about her psyche. Not sure. But that ending meeting between the two was very telling imo.
Thanks so much, Brian, for this excellent review. I have not see the movie yet. Based on your stellar comments, I am really looking forward to seeing it. Keep up the excellent work! Roger Ebert would be so proud of you!
On your minor quibble: I actually think it is super in character. We know that Gracie is both naive and delusional. She was probably the driving force behind this decision to let Elizabeth into their lives. Both of her sons are not very into the idea, as well as the daughter who went off to college. Joe is so under Gracie's control that even if he objected, if Gracie thought it was a good idea, he wouldn't have much of a say in the matter. You would have to be delusional or naive, in her situation, to think it was a good idea to make this happen. I do think it would be likely that some of the other people in town might tell her not to pry into the situation, but it actually makes perfect sense for Gracie to welcome them with open arms.
I haven't watched the movie, but I can't fathom that Charles Melton of all people, is about to be an Oscar nominee He was the weakest cast member of one of the worst shows on television
@@melvinjoseph952 Well Riverdale had poor material that didn't do his talent any justice. May December did and Todd Haynes managed to bring the best out of him
@@Erasureeraser The rest of the cast had to deal with the same writing, but Melton somehow always came off the worst I'll concede that I might've put a bit too much blame on him, despite the script being at fault for a lot of it. But I also think that you're going the other way, by prematurely lauding his talent, eventhough it could very well just be the case of a limited actor finding the perfect role Unremarkable actors win emmys because of this all the time, and while it's rarer at the Oscars, there are several instances of middling actors getting nominanted because they nabbed the right character in an awards contender
@@melvinjoseph952 If Melton comes off the worst, then I guess the writers gave him bad lines to work with and he was poorly directed as the show itself doesn't know what to do wih it tbh
I just saw May December last night so a bit late as always. It is indeed a mesmerising and sometimes chilling movie. Maybe spoilers after this sentence; The scene you mentioned where Portman stares into the camera to do her rendition of Gracie sent goosebumps down my spine. Natalie playing Elizabeth playing Gracie has so many levels and I was surprised at how Portman pulled that off. I do think though throughout the movie Elizabeth wasn't 100% accepted into the family. Both women were pretending to like each other to each get what they want and Gracie does show resistance to Elizabeth's intentions at times. I also think this is why Joe wasn't really involved in the first part because he seems to be following along to what Gracie wants. I do think you get the sense of this in the tension between the characters but esp between Gracie and Elizabeth, it always felt a little bit off, the friendliness. Gracie was really hoping that the movie would provide her family with the beautiful yet "normal" story that she is living in but not really believing. She was convinced that she could show Elizabeth how normal they are. Her character (although being the seductress to many, but to herself, she was just a woman who fell in love.) I like how this is also framed by how many perceive her as strong and someone who always "gets what she wants" and how she was so sovereign growing up with so many male siblings but at the same time, she plays this naive and innocent character which ultimately pushes the boy she "seduced" to take over the role of the man, I just love the dynamics between the characters.
Gracie is a sociopath. She's so manipulative she's sure she can manipulate Elizabeth into telling/showing the version of herself she's presenting to her. And why wouldn't she believe she's *that* good at manipulating people when she managed to manipulate a child into a relationship, and an adult man into staying in it (and an entire town into accepting her, too)? As for Joe, well, he's obviously under Gracie's manipulation, so of course he'd be on board with whatever she decides.
This has been my most anticipated and most excited about movie since its first announcement with the female characters pictures and short synospis for 1.5 years or so. Your stamp of approval just makes it all that more exciting to watch in the next week or so to come. I really hope Julianne Moore, and possibly other members of the cast and production, get a ton of awards recognition if it lives up to my expectations and what critics and such (like your channel) have been saying and praising. I mean, essentially, a project with Haynes and Moore has been a top must see any and every time it happens; and I really see this one being no different. I may have to come back to this comment after I watch the film and give an update: Thank you!
I love this review from you and agree with your perspective on the story and the outstanding performances. I watched May December yesterday and it was a drama tragedy in my opinion. I did not find the humor at all and I am baffled this could be classified as a comedy. The score highlighted the dark and twisted story. There are scenes that seem very idillic on the surface however, the dark truth lurks constantly. As far as your question at the end of this video, why would Gracie give Elizabeth such close access to their lives? I think it is because the truth of her crimes never sinks in for her and she believes that if she explains it anyone would understand why she and Joe "fell in love." Natalie Portman's monologue at the end is AMAZING! Charles Melton broke my heart in the third act. His performance is stunning. The quiet work he does in the first two acts really pays off and the horror of his stolen life is devastating. The tabloid/true crime aspects of the story do a great job of inditing the audience for finding entertainment in the abuse of a child.
And I really want Portman to get into Best Actress. She'll have to leapfrog Bening, Robbie, Huller, and Ellis-Taylor to do so but she was magnificent. I LOVED her monologue.
Moore was so beautiful in every way in Far From Heaven, I also remember the academy snubbed Dennis Quaid after he won so many pre-curser awards. The movie would be something important to watch today. I also might be the only one that did not love The Hours...loved the acting and appreciated it but I just didn't love it lol :D
Love what you said about the photos! I've seen some movies where there's as photo on the wall but it looks like one I saw in a movie magazine some years ago! Good eye!!
I just discovered your channel a few weeks ago and boy do I love it. Can't' wait for May December. Love Todd Haynes and loved your review. Anticipation!
The reason we couldn’t get closer to Gracie is because one of the themes in the movie was judging us as consumers (represented by Portman) for seeing abuse for what it is, but driven to obsession to “understand” the criminal to the point we actually end up exploiting the victim in the same way. The second injury is a worse betrayal, because the victim actually thinks we cared. The endeavor proves fruitless when Portman still can’t get the scene right in the end, regardless of her studying the abuser so intently. She failed to understand Gracie.
The reason why Gracie and Joe were welcoming and opened with Elizabeth is that shes a popular TV actress (we hear an audio snippet of her thanking those "who voted" for the award she won) and the fraternal twins had already checked out when she said to Mary that her parents are "famous on TV" and Gracie revealing her son has severe calcium deficiency.
I saw, Saltburn, and I must say, it was a wild ride. If Barry doesn’t secure a best actor nod, it’ll be a travesty. I don’t know many actors who would do what he did in the nude and that alone deserves a nod.
I think he meant wide open nomination wise; for example, I also think there is space for her to get nominated as opposed to Best Actress where Portman has an uphill battle because it is sooo stacked.
I saw Melton before on the new Bad Boys movie that came out before the pandemic Great buddy cop action comedy if you're looking for something more light hearted
And Elizabeth absolutely is a villain in this movie. She’s not a good person and takes advantage of joe and is literally there for herself and her career and you’re asking yourself throughout the film “is her doing all this even going to be worth it?” and then the final scene answers that question
Just watched this film and I'm also a big thumbs up. You've got it exactly right that it could have gone in any direction, but I the first description that came to me was "gothic horror." Gracie & Joe are locked in their own prison, dependent on each other in completely unhealthy ways. Elizabeth is the visitor to the Gothic mansion who shakes things up and reveals the horror beneath.
The movie evoked Mulholland Drive for me. There is a purposeful off-kilter quality to it all. I don't think the point was the story of the woman herself but the voyeuristic and exploitative nature of cinematic endeavors attempting to reduce people's complex lives to mere stories (the movie starts with an actress, not the woman who's life she's trying to portray). The process is disempowering and ultimately dishonest. We are always aware that Portman is "acting" like Moore. The mirror motif is recurrent. No matter how well Natalie does it, it never escapes us that this is just an act. Julianne's character is trying to regain control throughout. The director never sanitizes what she did, but allows for much more complexity to her character, and more importantly, keeps that complexity inaccessible. Trying to portray that complexity in a story that makes sense is absurd. The final scene with Portman in an elaborate dress and a literal snake (made me holler) is absurd on purpose. The trappings of melodrama and camp were perfectly employed.
Hahahaha - one of my pet peeves in film and television is when they cut to family photos or whatever and it's so fake looking. I hate it so much. I'll never forget and this is going back to the early 80s when in an episode of Dynasty ( of all things) and Alexis is showing a photo of her daughter Fallon (the lovely Pamela Sue Martin) to someone in a hospital bed and its this black and white photo ( taken out of her purse/wallet no less) and she looks all seductive and made up, so funny, but even back then I was thinking 'oh really that's the kind of photo you keep of your children, on you. It's annoyed me still to this day that they don't bother to get that right. Good to hear they did it right on this. I cannot wait to watch May/December - along with All of us Strangers and Saltburn
10:49 - Moore is a consummate actress, period. And I wouldn't describe her character as having a complete lack of insight. Note the two times she speaks to Elizabeth and reveals she knows a lot more than she's letting on.
I feel like I’m nuts on this one. I hated both female characters so much that I want Charles Melton to get an Oscar and to win both because he’s devastating but also because of the “I’m so sorry this happened to ANYONE” aura. I found nothing funny about this, but then again, I have family who’ve dealt with sexual abuse as minors and others family who needed speech therapy. So if you have either disability or sexual molestation in your background, or your family’s background, this might be a similarly rough watch. I think Elizabeth was hideously selfish in that third act, and if I understood the last scene, she got some proper payback. Just from the worst possible person-Grace. Both of the women portrayed here are awful, even if the actresses portraying those characters are obviously wildly successful. (My response probably proves it, and I don’t think I’m going to be alone here.) Look for a weird emotional response to flavor the votes on this one.
i wasn't too keen on it. i felt like Todd Haynes couldn't decide on exactly what it wanted to say so it ultimately said... nothing, which kinda helped in that it made me feel even worse for charles melton's character. his performance was excellent in this - I would love to see him win some awards for it. maybe even best supporting actor at the oscars in an ideal world lol
I think the reason Gracie and her friends welcomed Elizabeth with opened arms is they were holding out hope that this movie would vindicate Gracie and Joe's affair.
Have to throw in. What a strange score. Strange in tone. Strange when it just pops in sometimes. But it contributes to how the movie always feels slightly off.
I think everyone just wanted to put their ingredient to the acting pie and thats why they were so open to Elizabeth, esp the couple. The only people rlly against the idea were the people who did not have to rlly experience that whole circus and thus have probably conditioned themselves not to think about it and not to dwell upon it: the children. Each kid gets one scene in which they are uncomfortable or downright disagree with this because they don’t want to confront it. The other characters though, theyve confronted it and now they want their story told in a sympathetic/favorable way to themselces
This film is about that case. There are many parallels. There’s a scene where he confronts her for grooming him and she responds by saying “you seduced me - who was the boss?” And she actually said that in a 2018 interview as well
Hi Brian - you don’t seem to be aware that this movie is based on the real event of school teacher Mary Kay Letournau who had an illicit relationship w her 12 y/o student and she was 33, then went on to marry him when she got out of jail. If you look at interviews with her you’ll know why Julianne Moore talks funny. As for them being too welcoming of Elizabeth - I can’t speak for the whole town being like that, but Gracie based on Mary Kay, I can. Mary Kay seemed to be a few cans short of a six pack and she never seemed to truly grasp that what she did was wrong - so I reckon she couldn’t grasp that other people didn’t see her that way either
They could go further exploring Gracie's deepest emotions. I would like to know more about her and how she was affected by the arrest and public exposure. In any case, it is a good movie and the actors are great! 4 out of 5.
I guess the point was to explore cinematic voyeurism and how it can never really explore a real life character. It's dehumanizing, reducing complex lives to understandable "stories" with logical continuity. It's ultimately a disempowering and deceptive process. From this lens, the final scene with Portman's character carrying a snake makes so much sense. It's so not what happened and the ridiculous nature of it all is the point.
All i care about this year is Natalie Portman. Idc about Emma and her annoyance. Margot is amazing but Barbie was so summer vibes. And Lily who??? Give Natalie her second oscar NOW
8:55. I respectfully disagree. Natalie Portman's character is more of a hollow person who acts as a catalyst... but she has some vaguely sinister intentions that never quite surface, but seem to give her a sense of lived-in satisfaction. I always saw her as a predator, if perhaps, more overt than Liv Ullman's Elisabet in Persona. I do love how Haynes never gives us more than an eye-blink into his Elisabeth which enhances the feeling that she, as a performer, mirrors, but doesn't disclose herself, ever, not even to herself.
Then you owe it to yourself to watch Ingmar Bergman's masterpiece PERSONA. This movie is a direct reference to it without the more lurid aspects of true-life stories.
Just came here to play the video to support your amazing channel but not gonna truly watch it or listen to it because I want to watch the movie first and get my own idea of it and later come back to this video and actually watch it and compare our views.
I don't know that I share your enthusiasm here. I thought the performances by Portman, Moore and Melton were fantastic, but I found the movie's payoff rather underwhelming. The hints of humor and camp throughout just didn't land for me, even though I see a lot of critics praising that aspect of the movie.
Thanks for your thoughts. I saw the film Sunday and thought the performances by Julianne and Natalie were both outstanding. They blew Charles Melton out of the water. Very well done film, but it left me feeling “icky.” The music was very overly dramatic throughout and just made me feel uncomfortable, which I’m assuming was intentional. After seeing this film and Saltburn I feel like taking a 100 hot showers.
Charlie Melton's Joe is a victim who's somehow acclimated to a life that seems normal, but isn't. His two big scenes with Portman and Moore cement his emasculation at a physical, emotional, and mental level. All he has is some dim satisfaction that his own kids have made it unscathed. This is a difficult character to play because you don't expect much other than filler but Todd Haynes really gives him all the meat he can give and no fat.
...agreed on all counts. my one wish is that it had been a tragedy. honestly, can you imagine the impact if joe dies in the end...!?! LOVE your reviews!!! :D
Brian I have truly respected your reviews and continue to. But man I have to say this movie was garbage. I thought it was goofy. Melton was good though.
I even think its a horrible movie. On the basis of a real life abuse case, they made a starvehicle for two ageing actresses. And this in times of "Wokeness". Discusting.
I do not agree. Despite the great acting (Charles Melton especially) I didn’t like this movie. It wasn’t enjoyable, didn’t reveal any new dynamics. We knew the boy had arrested development, we knew the woman was a narcissist who couldn’t take responsibility for her part in it. I was bored and I guess I’m alone in this bc I’m so surprised by the rave reviews.
Meh not so much....underwhelming for me felt like an after school special..Natalie's obvious buccal fat removal wad so distracting and her weird switch in speech at the end jarring (clips of Mary Kay explain this)..Julianne did a nice job showing both the brittleness and mood swings but the script just didn't give her alot to work with...the boy's character and acting was underdeveloped and had neither charm nor vulnerability...better to watch the actual interviews...
I’m a bit of a cinefile so when this guy said a Todd Haynes movie is a must see, I thought who the F is Todd Haynes and immediately went to his filmography doubting my cinematic knowledge. I glimpsed at his filmography and had a huge laugh at your words. I’m sorry. And didn’t finish the review do to lack of value.
@@singstreetcar5881when women are dubbed unlikable, it’s usually because she dared to become too feministy. Same thing happened with Brie Larson, Rachel Zegler and most Hollywood women.
Melton just won best supporting performance at the Gotham Awards tonight 👏
The fact that Melton is already winning more awards than RDJ in Oppenheimer 😂
To not consider Elizabeth, a villain is an interesting take. that’s the main point they mirror each other. They don’t consider themselves to be the villain in their own story. Yet it’s very obvious for the viewer that they don’t hesitate to cross moral lines for their personal gain. That’s a villain per definition
SPOILERS:
Regarding any “trauma” that occurred in Gracie’s life - that was a tactic to continuously keep Elizabeth at a distance. Georgie plants the story, which makes Elizabeth think she understands Gracie’s motive, but ultimately Gracie tells her it was a lie and “insecure people are dangerous.” Gracie says that she is “secure” and she hopes that’s included in the movie.
Regarding her voice - It’s a lisp. It’s not strange, just a choice.
Regarding knowing more about Gracie - The film purposefully keeps you at a distance so that you identify with Elizabeth trying to unravel Gracie. Giving all the information upfront would lose that thread and undue all of the narrative momentum which is discovering (and continuously failing to discover) what makes Gracie tick. It makes Julianne Moore’s performance all the more magnetic because she has the back story, but she continuously keeps people at a distance in order to have some semblance of power. For example, when Joe confronts her about him being too young when they were together, Gracie turns it back and keeps repeating “Who was in charge?” She knows the game she was playing, and that’s why her final moment with Elizabeth packs such a punch.
just out of curiosity, do you think Gracie was telling the truth when she denied Georgie's claims? I'm still not quite sure what we're supposed to make of that part of the story.
Charles Melton was the highlight of the movie. He gave dignity and respect to his character. Very moving. Such a meaningful performance.
Charles Melton was surprisingly good! I look forward to seeing him in future feature films.
The fact that he stole the show from two Oscar winning actresses that also delivers strong performances (even the advertising material focused mostly only Natalie and Julianne) is a testament how good he was in this movie. Natalie and Julianne were great but this movie belongs to Charles without a doubt
18:16 The previous scene, before Elizabeth arrives, where Gracie and Lydia, tells you she's not exactly happy to have Elizabeth visit, and later on, she tells Joe, "She's getting on my nerves." She's being counterfeit. Pleasant, yes, but not throwing her arms around her. Almost on the nose is Elizabeth arriving holding a small box with something unpleasant... and then she becomes the unpleasant thing in the house.
In addition, whatever "pushback" that happens, does so either off-screen or barely hinted. Elizabeth's talk with her ex and attorney do not go unnoticed by Gracie, and Gracie informs Elizabeth that she and George talk almost constantly. They know. It just doesn't have to be explained.
Natalie Portman character was messy just for fun. She was so happy after they did it and reading the letter. I really thought she was gonna kill Julianne Moore at the end. She was CRAZY 😜
I can definitely see only Melton getting nominated. Julianne Moore's got a better shot than Portman due to lack of competition, but her character might be too weird to nominate. Charles Melton is the heart of the movie and the one you sympathize with
I think Moore and Portman will likely get overshadowed. Netflix and Todd Haynes will likely campaign hard for Melton to get Oscar nomination
Haynes used "Persona" (Ingmar Bergman's masterpiece, known as the Mount Everest of cinematic works) as a reference and an inspiration for this movie.
Yes! The movie came to mind every time the two lead actresses looked in a mirror.
May December doesn’t need other nominations for Charles Melton to get in. Bryan Tyree Henry got in and was the lone nomination.
I love how because of Saltburn, every normal movie feels restrained now
Charles melton performance was beautiful, Charles Melton became the characters and body language, and his face, I hope Charles Melton get nominate ❤️
I remember the true story on which this film is based. Haynes, Portman, Moore...definitely Oscar potential.
Director and Best Actress is so stacked I'm not sure about Haynes and Portman. Supporting Actress has space for Moore. Finally, I can see Melton squeezing into Supporting Actor in that fourth or fifth slot.
The movie definitely hints at the fact that, despite the repercussions, selling their story is a main source of income for them. As they were not pleased with their depiction in the 'movie of the week' lol inviting Elizabeth with open arms (for an assumed prestige movie) could not only mean redemption for them, but also a financial gain
The real Villi went on Dr Oz shortly after Mary Kay passed and asked people to give to his Go Fund Me..yuck
9:45. I don't watch movies for Oscar purposes (the Oscars aren't the sole thing one watches movies for), but Portman landed the role of a lifetime here. She never overdoes it. Her subtle reactions speak volumes.
Finally she learns how to act....
Fun Fact: The characters Julianne Moore and Charles Melton plays are based on the real-life case of Mary Kay Letourneau and Villi Fualaau. Mary Kay was a 34 year old 6th grade teacher and married mother of four (she was supposed to have five but she miscarried the last one) who had sex with her 12 year old student Villi in 1996. She was arrested in 1997 (she had her fist child with Villi shortly afterwards, Villi's mom got full custody) and plead guilty. She was originally given a suspended jail sentence and was given 7 1/2 years of probation, on the condition that she doesn't contact Villi. No sooner that she got out of jail after being in there for six months, she violated the no contact order and was arrested again in 1998 after being caught with Villi in the car with plans to run away. This time, the judge revoked the suspended sentence and was sentence to 7 1/2 years in prison (she had her second child with Villi while serving her sentence, Villi's mother once again getting full custody), and was ordered to not contact Villi forever. When she got out of prison in 2004, she and Villi petition the court to get rid of the no-contact order because Villi was now 21. They were successful and in 2005, the couple married, with their two children and three of Mary's four children with her ex-husband at attendance. In 2019, Villi filed for a legal separation, the reasons for it are unknown. In July 2020, Mary Kay died of cancer at the age of 58 with Villi and their two kids by her side. In her will, she left most of her estate Villi, so they still loved each other despite the separation.
A child molester can never love
@@singstreetcar5881 I agree, but Villi never viewed it that way. If he did, he wouldn't have married her when she got out of prison.
Mary Kay was a delusional predator. I feel for Vili because he was raped, and forced to be a father while still a child himself. The whole thing is sad.
@@naimahal-azeez1728Cognitive dissonance at work here. He had two children with that woman and he was trauma-bonded to her. That poor man had his childhood taken from him. I hope now he is at peace.
@@naimahal-azeez1728that's called grooming
Charles Melton what a revelation he deserves that Oscar!
11:28. I much rather go for slight ambiguity. This is the kind of role Isabelle Huppert plays in her sleep. Giving away too much reduces a movie's power and diminishes the actor.
I think it's crazy that a character in the movie called this an affair instead of child abuse.
Woman did it, not a man, so…
Yep
Glad you liked it! Really hope it can sneak in some noms! Interesting point about Gracie. I also left feeling like she was still a bit hard to pin down but I think that’s kind of intentional, like we’re meant to go on this journey of figuring her out in pieces together with the other characters. I guess I see it as more of a feature than a bug.
Great review, Brian! I thought the movie was very unsettling but riveting. Natalie Portman played Elizabeth so well. She's so calculating and manipulative yet you still want to root for her at the same time. Julianne Moore did an excellent job, and yes you do get used to her voice after a while. To play basically a ripped from the headlines version of Mary Kay Latorneau and give her some self-awareness and agency is no mean feat. Though I do agree that just as you think you know her very well, you only just barely touch the surface especially with how Gracie gaslights Joe throughout the film. Charles Melton did a great job and is worthy of a supporting actor nomination. Those very last scenes of his were great. The screenplay was dark but also very funny at times. I could see this movie getting 2-4 nominations tops with Actress, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor, and Original Screenplay. Natalie would deserve a nomination but as you said Lead Actress is incredibly competitive and as always, it'll come down to SAG. Can't wait to see this again on Netflix Friday ❤ Anticipating your Maestro review whenever you get to it 😊
Netflix this friday! Yes!!! I would watch these two actresses in pretty much anything, let alone the same movie!
I agree with your 2 criticisms - but I would’ve liked a bit more from the children more specifically the college daughter. I expected her to have a time to sit with Lizzie maybe a scene to get an understanding of Gracie and what it was like to grow up with parents like that. She would’ve been a good gateway into the relationship between Gracie and Joe. Of course, that letter was a gift to Lizzie and really gives us an insight into Gracie at that time. She groomed him and preyed on him. She’s controlling but in a subtle way not to be like a dictator or sort. Natalie was phenomenal in the scene! She knew what she was doing, she already had her mind made up about Gracie going into this so maybe that’s why we didn’t get much about her psyche. Not sure. But that ending meeting between the two was very telling imo.
Thanks so much, Brian, for this excellent review. I have not see the movie yet. Based on your stellar comments, I am really looking forward to seeing it. Keep up the excellent work! Roger Ebert would be so proud of you!
On your minor quibble: I actually think it is super in character. We know that Gracie is both naive and delusional. She was probably the driving force behind this decision to let Elizabeth into their lives. Both of her sons are not very into the idea, as well as the daughter who went off to college. Joe is so under Gracie's control that even if he objected, if Gracie thought it was a good idea, he wouldn't have much of a say in the matter. You would have to be delusional or naive, in her situation, to think it was a good idea to make this happen. I do think it would be likely that some of the other people in town might tell her not to pry into the situation, but it actually makes perfect sense for Gracie to welcome them with open arms.
The standout performance in this film is Charles Melton. Wow. What a find. Some noms better come from this , or quit doing awards
Totally agree! I'd nominate all three leads, and I'd give the Oscar to Melton. He was the heart of the movie. I ADORED the score.
Imagine from being Riverdale to an Oscar winner. That'll be amazing for Charles Melton. Seems like RDJ has a tough competition
I haven't watched the movie, but I can't fathom that Charles Melton of all people, is about to be an Oscar nominee
He was the weakest cast member of one of the worst shows on television
@@melvinjoseph952 Well Riverdale had poor material that didn't do his talent any justice. May December did and Todd Haynes managed to bring the best out of him
@@Erasureeraser The rest of the cast had to deal with the same writing, but Melton somehow always came off the worst
I'll concede that I might've put a bit too much blame on him, despite the script being at fault for a lot of it. But I also think that you're going the other way, by prematurely lauding his talent, eventhough it could very well just be the case of a limited actor finding the perfect role
Unremarkable actors win emmys because of this all the time, and while it's rarer at the Oscars, there are several instances of middling actors getting nominanted because they nabbed the right character in an awards contender
@@melvinjoseph952 If Melton comes off the worst, then I guess the writers gave him bad lines to work with and he was poorly directed as the show itself doesn't know what to do wih it tbh
I just saw May December last night so a bit late as always. It is indeed a mesmerising and sometimes chilling movie. Maybe spoilers after this sentence;
The scene you mentioned where Portman stares into the camera to do her rendition of Gracie sent goosebumps down my spine. Natalie playing Elizabeth playing Gracie has so many levels and I was surprised at how Portman pulled that off. I do think though throughout the movie Elizabeth wasn't 100% accepted into the family. Both women were pretending to like each other to each get what they want and Gracie does show resistance to Elizabeth's intentions at times. I also think this is why Joe wasn't really involved in the first part because he seems to be following along to what Gracie wants. I do think you get the sense of this in the tension between the characters but esp between Gracie and Elizabeth, it always felt a little bit off, the friendliness. Gracie was really hoping that the movie would provide her family with the beautiful yet "normal" story that she is living in but not really believing. She was convinced that she could show Elizabeth how normal they are. Her character (although being the seductress to many, but to herself, she was just a woman who fell in love.) I like how this is also framed by how many perceive her as strong and someone who always "gets what she wants" and how she was so sovereign growing up with so many male siblings but at the same time, she plays this naive and innocent character which ultimately pushes the boy she "seduced" to take over the role of the man, I just love the dynamics between the characters.
It’d be awesome if you covered the race from 2014 with Leonardo DiCaprio for The Wolf of Wall Street and Matthew Mcgonahuay for Dallas Buyers Club
No. The race that year was between chiwetel and Matthew
Gracie is a sociopath. She's so manipulative she's sure she can manipulate Elizabeth into telling/showing the version of herself she's presenting to her.
And why wouldn't she believe she's *that* good at manipulating people when she managed to manipulate a child into a relationship, and an adult man into staying in it (and an entire town into accepting her, too)?
As for Joe, well, he's obviously under Gracie's manipulation, so of course he'd be on board with whatever she decides.
This has been my most anticipated and most excited about movie since its first announcement with the female characters pictures and short synospis for 1.5 years or so.
Your stamp of approval just makes it all that more exciting to watch in the next week or so to come.
I really hope Julianne Moore, and possibly other members of the cast and production, get a ton of awards recognition if it lives up to my expectations and what critics and such (like your channel) have been saying and praising.
I mean, essentially, a project with Haynes and Moore has been a top must see any and every time it happens; and I really see this one being no different. I may have to come back to this comment after I watch the film and give an update:
Thank you!
Brian did you ever see Notes on a Scandal??? I have a feeling you would love the movie if not love how incredible the acting is from all 3!
Notes on a Scandal is so messed up! Judi Dench is terrifying in that movie.
I love this review from you and agree with your perspective on the story and the outstanding performances.
I watched May December yesterday and it was a drama tragedy in my opinion. I did not find the humor at all and I am baffled this could be classified as a comedy.
The score highlighted the dark and twisted story. There are scenes that seem very idillic on the surface however, the dark truth lurks constantly.
As far as your question at the end of this video, why would Gracie give Elizabeth such close access to their lives? I think it is because the truth of her crimes never sinks in for her and she believes that if she explains it anyone would understand why she and Joe "fell in love."
Natalie Portman's monologue at the end is AMAZING! Charles Melton broke my heart in the third act. His performance is stunning. The quiet work he does in the first two acts really pays off and the horror of his stolen life is devastating.
The tabloid/true crime aspects of the story do a great job of inditing the audience for finding entertainment in the abuse of a child.
And I really want Portman to get into Best Actress. She'll have to leapfrog Bening, Robbie, Huller, and Ellis-Taylor to do so but she was magnificent. I LOVED her monologue.
I adore both actress😍 remember when Moore was two nomination one for The Hours and another for Far From Heaven in 2003❤
Moore was so beautiful in every way in Far From Heaven, I also remember the academy snubbed Dennis Quaid after he won so many pre-curser awards. The movie would be something important to watch today. I also might be the only one that did not love The Hours...loved the acting and appreciated it but I just didn't love it lol :D
Your channel is so underrated
I think Elizabeth was sort of a villain. She was like Gracie in wanting what she wanted and would cross lines to get it.
Love what you said about the photos! I've seen some movies where there's as photo on the wall but it looks like one I saw in a movie magazine some years ago! Good eye!!
I just discovered your channel a few weeks ago and boy do I love it. Can't' wait for May December. Love Todd Haynes and loved your review. Anticipation!
I think putting, Charles Melton, into your supporting line up might be a good thing. If nothing else, he’s going to show up looking snazzy
Just saw the movie, charles melton is great in it.
Julianne chose to lisp as "Gracie." Charles chose to gain a lot of weight for "Joe."
Love your reviews and rankings so much!
The reason we couldn’t get closer to Gracie is because one of the themes in the movie was judging us as consumers (represented by Portman) for seeing abuse for what it is, but driven to obsession to “understand” the criminal to the point we actually end up exploiting the victim in the same way. The second injury is a worse betrayal, because the victim actually thinks we cared. The endeavor proves fruitless when Portman still can’t get the scene right in the end, regardless of her studying the abuser so intently. She failed to understand Gracie.
The reason why Gracie and Joe were welcoming and opened with Elizabeth is that shes a popular TV actress (we hear an audio snippet of her thanking those "who voted" for the award she won) and the fraternal twins had already checked out when she said to Mary that her parents are "famous on TV" and Gracie revealing her son has severe calcium deficiency.
I saw, Saltburn, and I must say, it was a wild ride. If Barry doesn’t secure a best actor nod, it’ll be a travesty. I don’t know many actors who would do what he did in the nude and that alone deserves a nod.
On the subject of an actress meeting a person before portraying them in a role, you should watch persona. This movies is inspired by persona
Best supporting actress is most def not wide open Davine Joy Randolph has it in the bag
I think he meant wide open nomination wise; for example, I also think there is space for her to get nominated as opposed to Best Actress where Portman has an uphill battle because it is sooo stacked.
I saw Melton before on the new Bad Boys movie that came out before the pandemic
Great buddy cop action comedy if you're looking for something more light hearted
Uh the reviews coming out of Cannes for May December were great to amazing what??? It had one of the highest scores on the jury grid.
And Elizabeth absolutely is a villain in this movie. She’s not a good person and takes advantage of joe and is literally there for herself and her career and you’re asking yourself throughout the film “is her doing all this even going to be worth it?” and then the final scene answers that question
Just watched this film and I'm also a big thumbs up. You've got it exactly right that it could have gone in any direction, but I the first description that came to me was "gothic horror." Gracie & Joe are locked in their own prison, dependent on each other in completely unhealthy ways. Elizabeth is the visitor to the Gothic mansion who shakes things up and reveals the horror beneath.
The movie evoked Mulholland Drive for me. There is a purposeful off-kilter quality to it all. I don't think the point was the story of the woman herself but the voyeuristic and exploitative nature of cinematic endeavors attempting to reduce people's complex lives to mere stories (the movie starts with an actress, not the woman who's life she's trying to portray). The process is disempowering and ultimately dishonest. We are always aware that Portman is "acting" like Moore. The mirror motif is recurrent. No matter how well Natalie does it, it never escapes us that this is just an act. Julianne's character is trying to regain control throughout. The director never sanitizes what she did, but allows for much more complexity to her character, and more importantly, keeps that complexity inaccessible. Trying to portray that complexity in a story that makes sense is absurd. The final scene with Portman in an elaborate dress and a literal snake (made me holler) is absurd on purpose. The trappings of melodrama and camp were perfectly employed.
The score gave 90’s Lifetime movie vibes.
Is there an acting showdown?
Hahahaha - one of my pet peeves in film and television is when they cut to family photos or whatever and it's so fake looking. I hate it so much. I'll never forget and this is going back to the early 80s when in an episode of Dynasty ( of all things) and Alexis is showing a photo of her daughter Fallon (the lovely Pamela Sue Martin) to someone in a hospital bed and its this black and white photo ( taken out of her purse/wallet no less) and she looks all seductive and made up, so funny, but even back then I was thinking 'oh really that's the kind of photo you keep of your children, on you. It's annoyed me still to this day that they don't bother to get that right. Good to hear they did it right on this. I cannot wait to watch May/December - along with All of us Strangers and Saltburn
10:49 - Moore is a consummate actress, period. And I wouldn't describe her character as having a complete lack of insight. Note the two times she speaks to Elizabeth and reveals she knows a lot more than she's letting on.
I feel like I’m nuts on this one. I hated both female characters so much that I want Charles Melton to get an Oscar and to win both because he’s devastating but also because of the “I’m so sorry this happened to ANYONE” aura. I found nothing funny about this, but then again, I have family who’ve dealt with sexual abuse as minors and others family who needed speech therapy. So if you have either disability or sexual molestation in your background, or your family’s background, this might be a similarly rough watch. I think Elizabeth was hideously selfish in that third act, and if I understood the last scene, she got some proper payback. Just from the worst possible person-Grace. Both of the women portrayed here are awful, even if the actresses portraying those characters are obviously wildly successful. (My response probably proves it, and I don’t think I’m going to be alone here.) Look for a weird emotional response to flavor the votes on this one.
i wasn't too keen on it. i felt like Todd Haynes couldn't decide on exactly what it wanted to say so it ultimately said... nothing, which kinda helped in that it made me feel even worse for charles melton's character. his performance was excellent in this - I would love to see him win some awards for it. maybe even best supporting actor at the oscars in an ideal world lol
It was really good! Julianne Moore should get the trophy! She was so believably disturbed!!
I think the reason Gracie and her friends welcomed Elizabeth with opened arms is they were holding out hope that this movie would vindicate Gracie and Joe's affair.
He just won at the Gotham awards
Not only are all the photoshopped pictures on point, every one of them is based on an actual photo of Mary Kay Letourneau.
Smartest movie of the year.
Looking forward to this one!
Have to throw in. What a strange score. Strange in tone. Strange when it just pops in sometimes. But it contributes to how the movie always feels slightly off.
Who do I have to F*** to get Todd Haynes an Oscar?
One of my favorite actresses ever is Julianne Moore, but Natalie Portman blew me away in this.
I think everyone just wanted to put their ingredient to the acting pie and thats why they were so open to Elizabeth, esp the couple. The only people rlly against the idea were the people who did not have to rlly experience that whole circus and thus have probably conditioned themselves not to think about it and not to dwell upon it: the children. Each kid gets one scene in which they are uncomfortable or downright disagree with this because they don’t want to confront it. The other characters though, theyve confronted it and now they want their story told in a sympathetic/favorable way to themselces
I just watched an interview with Mary Kay Letourneau and I think Julianne Moore’s accent was intentionally trying to mirror it
It sounds so similar to the Mary Kay Leturneau case. Sorry I don’t know how to spell her last name.
This film is about that case. There are many parallels. There’s a scene where he confronts her for grooming him and she responds by saying “you seduced me - who was the boss?” And she actually said that in a 2018 interview as well
Hi Brian - you don’t seem to be aware that this movie is based on the real event of school teacher Mary Kay Letournau who had an illicit relationship w her 12 y/o student and she was 33, then went on to marry him when she got out of jail. If you look at interviews with her you’ll know why Julianne Moore talks funny. As for them being too welcoming of Elizabeth - I can’t speak for the whole town being like that, but Gracie based on Mary Kay, I can. Mary Kay seemed to be a few cans short of a six pack and she never seemed to truly grasp that what she did was wrong - so I reckon she couldn’t grasp that other people didn’t see her that way either
They could go further exploring Gracie's deepest emotions. I would like to know more about her and how she was affected by the arrest and public exposure. In any case, it is a good movie and the actors are great! 4 out of 5.
I guess the point was to explore cinematic voyeurism and how it can never really explore a real life character. It's dehumanizing, reducing complex lives to understandable "stories" with logical continuity. It's ultimately a disempowering and deceptive process. From this lens, the final scene with Portman's character carrying a snake makes so much sense. It's so not what happened and the ridiculous nature of it all is the point.
All i care about this year is Natalie Portman. Idc about Emma and her annoyance. Margot is amazing but Barbie was so summer vibes. And Lily who???
Give Natalie her second oscar NOW
I loved this film.
8:55. I respectfully disagree. Natalie Portman's character is more of a hollow person who acts as a catalyst... but she has some vaguely sinister intentions that never quite surface, but seem to give her a sense of lived-in satisfaction. I always saw her as a predator, if perhaps, more overt than Liv Ullman's Elisabet in Persona. I do love how Haynes never gives us more than an eye-blink into his Elisabeth which enhances the feeling that she, as a performer, mirrors, but doesn't disclose herself, ever, not even to herself.
Then you owe it to yourself to watch Ingmar Bergman's masterpiece PERSONA. This movie is a direct reference to it without the more lurid aspects of true-life stories.
Considering the subject matter, I am truly offended by the fact they submitted this as a COMEDY? What about this film was comedic? It’s dark.
Its like promoting "The Accused" or "Irreversible" as Rom-Com... But obviously, when its about an abuse of a boy, the standards are different.
Just came here to play the video to support your amazing channel but not gonna truly watch it or listen to it because I want to watch the movie first and get my own idea of it and later come back to this video and actually watch it and compare our views.
I don't know that I share your enthusiasm here. I thought the performances by Portman, Moore and Melton were fantastic, but I found the movie's payoff rather underwhelming. The hints of humor and camp throughout just didn't land for me, even though I see a lot of critics praising that aspect of the movie.
Thanks for your thoughts. I saw the film Sunday and thought the performances by Julianne and Natalie were both outstanding. They blew Charles Melton out of the water. Very well done film, but it left me feeling “icky.” The music was very overly dramatic throughout and just made me feel uncomfortable, which I’m assuming was intentional. After seeing this film and Saltburn I feel like taking a 100 hot showers.
Charlie Melton's Joe is a victim who's somehow acclimated to a life that seems normal, but isn't. His two big scenes with Portman and Moore cement his emasculation at a physical, emotional, and mental level. All he has is some dim satisfaction that his own kids have made it unscathed. This is a difficult character to play because you don't expect much other than filler but Todd Haynes really gives him all the meat he can give and no fat.
Didn’t understand the point of making this movie, glad I skipped thru a good part of it.
...agreed on all counts. my one wish is that it had been a tragedy. honestly, can you imagine the impact if joe dies in the end...!?! LOVE your reviews!!! :D
This was so odd and weird. The music was so overly dramatic. It was good bad sorta campy
i can't sleep properly for 2 nights after watching this movie . The relationships of the family are creepy
Can you talk about the end of physical media? Is this a sad thing for collectors.
Can't wait!
Soo cute you are, like a tedy bear 😅😂
❤❤❤
Brian I have truly respected your reviews and continue to. But man I have to say this movie was garbage. I thought it was goofy. Melton was good though.
I even think its a horrible movie. On the basis of a real life abuse case, they made a starvehicle for two ageing actresses. And this in times of "Wokeness". Discusting.
It IS a drama.
Nauseating is the better word.
This movie's score is absolutely awful.
I do not agree. Despite the great acting (Charles Melton especially) I didn’t like this movie. It wasn’t enjoyable, didn’t reveal any new dynamics. We knew the boy had arrested development, we knew the woman was a narcissist who couldn’t take responsibility for her part in it. I was bored and I guess I’m alone in this bc I’m so surprised by the rave reviews.
Meh not so much....underwhelming for me felt like an after school special..Natalie's obvious buccal fat removal wad so distracting and her weird switch in speech at the end jarring (clips of Mary Kay explain this)..Julianne did a nice job showing both the brittleness and mood swings but the script just didn't give her alot to work with...the boy's character and acting was underdeveloped and had neither charm nor vulnerability...better to watch the actual interviews...
Wasn't wild about it at all 😮
FIRST!!!
Terrible movie!
I’m a bit of a cinefile so when this guy said a Todd Haynes movie is a must see, I thought who the F is Todd Haynes and immediately went to his filmography doubting my cinematic knowledge. I glimpsed at his filmography and had a huge laugh at your words. I’m sorry. And didn’t finish the review do to lack of value.
Jullianne Moore Yuk!
I would love to see this but Natalie Portman is so insufferable and unlikable I'm sadly gonna skip this one
What did she do?
@@singstreetcar5881when women are dubbed unlikable, it’s usually because she dared to become too feministy. Same thing happened with Brie Larson, Rachel Zegler and most Hollywood women.