Mark Kermode reviews May December - Kermode and Mayo's Take

Was anyone else as taken aback as I was by the dramatic zoom and subsequent proclamation of "I don't think we have enough hot dogs"?

Phenomenal film. Charles Melton in particular blew me away. Really hope he nabs an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

The best film of the year. Hilarious, heartbreaking and harrowing in equal measure but somehow manages to pull off that tricky tonal balance. There's so much rich thematic content to chew on afterwards, it's shot incredibly well (my goodness some of those mirror set ups are out of this world good) and the performances are next level - heightened and calculated from Moore and Portman and grounded by the incredibly earnest and affecting performance of Charles Melton. Plus that score is delicious and is almost a fourth co-star. I saw it over a month ago for my birthday and I haven't stopped thinking about it since.

Let me just say that Charles Melton completely stole the movie in my opinion. I felt so bad for his character. One of if not my favorite movie of the year.

I love Julianne Moore,she is brilliant actress

Regarding Simon's question as to why the couple would invite scrutiny, could it be that they both sensed, subconsiously or otherwise, that the relationship was at a turning point. They would soon become empty-nesters. Gracie wanted to revalidate this great love story she's held onto for half of her life.

Polanski collaborated with Marina Zenovich's documentary in the belief that it would exonerate him, so it's not that far-fetched at all.

Big thank you to Simon for calling a spade a spade; I've read so many reviews of this who refuse to call Moore's character a paedophile which she in fact is. Even Mark seemed to pussyfoot around it in his description.

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.

Glad you called out Safe, cuz I saw that film so many years ago and have never forgotten it, Julianne Moore performance in it was so good!

I also agree that it is weird how the Julianna Moore character would be cool with having the story made into a film. I think that perhaps this is explained through the fact that there appears to be another film or TV show that was already made about the story. If I remember correctly, Natalie Portman's character was watching it at one point and studying it. I though it was interesting that it was presented as such a tawdry and sleazy B-movie type presentation in the already existing movie that her character was watching. And I had the impression that the other movie she was watching had cast basically an adult actor in the Joe role. It was interesting to me that she (Natalie Portman) seemed to recoil from the ages of the young kids who were being presented for the character of the boy in the movie she was making. And yet, by the end it seemed like she (Natalie Portman) had become the character so much that it almost felt like she wanted to actually cross the moral boundary that the woman she was portraying had actually crossed. By the end, I found myself actively nauseated and repelled by Natalie Portman's character. I actually felt sick to my stomach, realizing what a predator the character was. Credit to Natalie Portman for giving an absolutely extraordinary performance, one of the greatest I have ever seen in a film. Her acting choices are just so, so smart. She doesn't play her "ace" in one gesture, she gradually unfolds the horrible truth of the character until we are just mortified by the end.

Loved the 3 main actors in this film. Julianne Moore was so good as Gracie.

For a split second I thought they were talking about 2002’s May, with Angela Bettis.

I think they took some of the gravity out of this story by not making her his former teacher. That is a significant part of the story that she was a teacher, a person of authority and power, having a "relationship" with one of her young students. I think the truth hits harder than just some weird woman that had an "affair" with a kid that worked at the same pet shop. It was beyond obvious that this is pretty much the Mary Kay Letourneau story. There were many direct references and copying of images. The kid did have some sexual experience before her and he was the one who pursued her. She just was totally mental and thought their "love" was special and meant to be. Rather childlike herself. Not that that gets her off the hook at all because she was the adult and especially as his teacher responsible for handling that situation appropriately and nip his advances in the bud right away. Not have some delusional romantic view of their "relationship".

This film kept reminding me of a certain actor and his much older wife who he met when he was still a teen. Just imagining them sitting down to watch this is painfully awkward.

How well known is the Mary Kay Letourneau story in the UK? In America it was one of the most covered tabloid stories of the 90s. This movie has been generating headlines for months solely because it’s based on the case.

Interesting review, much agreed, although it is disdainful, Mark, to refer to the relationship as an affair. Put your child in that position and then try calling it an affair! It's not. It's not a tryst or a fling, it's an abuse. A crime. You sounded pained even referring to it as such. Great film though. Mesmerising performances.

Todd Haynes also directed I’m Not There with Julianne Moore.

it was excellent!

Interesting...