May December

New Year's Eve, Sharon and I watched May December on Netflix. Tom was supposed to join us for dinner and the movie, but cancelled at the last minute. It fits into our annual trek to see all of the potential Oscar nominated films. The GoldDerby site has the film in the running for best supporting actress and best supporting actor.

May December is a drama film directed by Todd Haynes from a screenplay by Samy Burch, based on a story by Burch and Alex Mechanik. it is loosely based on the Mary Kay Letourneau scandal.

It stars Natalie Portman as an actress who travels to Savannah, Georgia, to meet and study the life of the controversial woman (Julianne Moore). Portman is set to play Moore in a film. Moore's character is infamous for her 23-year-long relationship with her husband (Charles Melton) which began when he was 13 years old.

The movie received critical acclaim and various accolades, including nominations for four Golden Globe Awards and was named one of the top 10 films of 2023 by the American Film Institute. The Gold Globe Awards nominations include: Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy; Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for Natalie Portman; Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for Charles Melton, and; Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture for Julianne Moore.

As part of our journey to see all of the Oscar nominated films, we see a number of odd films. I would put May December into this bucket. The tone of the movie and the performances didn't resonate with me. In particular, I am perplexed by the accolates that Charles Melton's performance has received. I am frankly surprised that the movie received so many Golden Globe nominations. I don't recommend it.