May December

Filmfestival in San Sebastian, Film Nummer 8. Das gewählte Thema betrifft mich persönlich, es wurde aber so kalt präsentiert, dass ich der ganzen Geschichte meilenweit entfernt war. Ich habe die ganze Zeit darauf gewartet, dass die großartige dramatische Musik auf die dramatische Steigerung der Geschichte trifft, aber das passierte praktisch nie. So überwog bei mir eher die Enttäuschung über den Inhalt. Am meisten hat mir die Figur Elizabeth von Natalie Portman gefallen. Ich habe sie schon lange nicht mehr gesehen, abgesehen von Thor. Umso mehr konnte ich mich an ihre berühmten Rollen erinnern. Julianne Moore ist natürlich wie immer hervorragend. Die Nebenrolle von Charles Melton, den man aus Riverdale kennt, hat mich überrascht. Der Film hätte mehr starke Emotionen verdient, sie sollten die Grundlage der Geschichte sein. (25.09.2023)

The Golden Globes nomination in the "comedy/musical" category is a good joke. There is barely a trace amount of humor in Todd Haynes's latest; many viewers won't notice it at all, I'd guess. Either way, this is a superbly executed and imagined film about broken people and their broken relationships. Watching it, I was left with a sense of anxiety and nervousness resulting from the insincerity and nonstop pretense of virtually all the characters. It was debilitating and uncomfortable. Yet, paradoxically, it moves along briskly and is not heavy-handed art. (23.12.2023)

A story about the challenges of relationships between partners with significant age differences and the social impact on lives and surroundings. An interesting concept, based on real and published cases, delving into the feelings of those involved more than the opinions of others. However, I missed a more thorough development and, most importantly, a conclusion. Perhaps it is intentional to leave the viewer in doubt about how it actually turned out, but it didn't work well for me. A good movie that I don't need to see again. (02.01.2024)

What I appreciate the most in May December is the originality. The topic of a mature woman's relationship with a young boy, discussed in the media, is something I may have seen in a TV movie, but certainly not on the big screen. And I've certainly never seen the theme of an actress preparing for a role in a film inspired by a real event. She is to portray the mature woman, and therefore, as part of her research, she briefly intrudes into their lives and privacy. It’s a very good combination and brilliantly acted. The most curious thing about the whole film is the music, it is perhaps overly dramatic, you are expecting some brutal drama, a violent scene, and then something quite ordinary comes along. To illustrate: the scene that sticks in my mind the most is when Julianne Moore is in the kitchen preparing snacks for a garden party and when she opens the fridge and stares staring into it, this brutally dramatic music starts playing, making you think she's found a severed head, or maybe she's going to grab a knife and slit her wrists, only to say that there aren’t enough hot-dogs. The result is very comical, and there are several scenes like that. There is also some drama there, Julianne and Natalie Portman are both great, and as I said, it's all very original. I also enjoyed very much the role of Charles Melton, the young father who begins to analyze and question his life and his relationship with his much older wife. [Festival de Cannes 2023] (29.05.2023)