🏆 2023 Ranked

"I mean, I know personally the past weighs on me." "So you just sit there and you think about your history and your behavior?"

May December is certainly one of the best movies of 2023. Somewhat like All About Eve, this has a plot of impersonating one's way into someone else's life, but this story is quite different. The male lead was effectively a child bride and now stays at home rearing monarch butterflies while failing to do anything of note for himself and deferring to her for all decisions. They both seem to believe this is a happy arrangement, and the relationship that seems like lover, teacher, and mother intertwined seems like it should be toxic, but the way the film manages it, it is natural to keep a slightly open mind.

Gracie’s apparent comfort with her decision not to reflect in the least on her past was to me the most interesting part of this film. I enjoyed the way the other characters developed but her failure to grow at all and the way it is self-justified is very interesting. The husband had only one clear direction to develop and he took it and it’s not a very complex and riveting psychological portrait; I am not certain how others are getting so much from that character arc. To me he is interesting mostly in what he reveals about the two female leads. That said, I do see why the actor is getting so much praise. He does great work in this film. And it also has helped me become interested in this genre, which I previously have paid little attention to. It’s a good film, no doubt at all.

I don't want to spoil the plot for anyone who hasn't seen this, so I'll stop there. It's enjoyable to watch the interplay between these three characters. I loved what Gracie reveals in her final words. It is all a moral muddle, but a very fun one. I don’t think there’s any way not to enjoy it. That said, it does not have a grip in my mind the way similar dramas such as Red Rooms do. Something about it to me is light and slides away over time; it’s a bit lower impact and a bit of an easier watch. However, I hear many people find it harrowing. I hope that’s you; give it a shot and see how you like it. Recommended.
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🏆 2023 Ranked
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