May December Review: What does the past truly mean to Others and Ourselves?
We live in a world where we view ourselves as idealistic and perfect in every way. Everyday of our lives is like a whole new life in which a mistake had not been made nor there should be one. The past as we see is full of mistakes but should we truly take our past to the present?
May December is set to answer that question with its story. The entire film surrounds Actress Elizabeth researching Gracie, a mother who had an affair with a 13 year old and is now married to him. The concept of the film had me interested as to how such a relationship could even function so going in with the high praise,there was an expectation to be met. However as I watched, the real thematic question it came about was regarding our past.
The past as it was can be something used and talked about by others. The townsfolk all had their own opinion on Gracie's past . We even see how Georgie fabricates Gracie's past so he could have a position in the film. We mainly see how the past is used by Elizabeth. Here she is basically researching on how to become Gracie and goes full on method acting. We see how she uses Gracie’s past to her own advantage and tries to experience it. We see how she mimics Gracie's every movement and tries to recreate her appearance. She goes around town asking about Gracie's past so she could experience what others view of her without herself knowing it. She even makes out with Joe so she could really get into her character. In the end she tested her results by acting in front of the mirror as if she were Gracie. The results were definitely successful all coming from the cost of using Gracie's past. Notice how that scene never felt terrifying despite it being the payoff. The film does give insight on how method acting can go off the rails and how we should not use others’ past as if it were our own but the film never showed who Elizabeth was before. Before she was obsessed with her method acting we never knew who she was. Was she a good girl who is kind but hearing how Gracie is not the greatest so she became this way? Due to not having established who she was,we would never know whether she is actually pushing herself towards a darker path or had this always been the way she tries to act. Her choosing to have sex with Joe shows how far she is willing to go but we never knew whether she always had sex with others or this is a first time thing. By making us know who she was before this story,it would elevate her character’s journey in terms of whether she is going down the wrong path or this being only a normal thing for her. In the end,with her we understand how the past is something which can be perceived or used by others.
Next we see how the past can be completely ignored through Gracie. From the beginning we know how she views her past as if it had never happened. She just goes about her day as your typical wife with a loving husband. However as the film progresses we gradually see who she really is from others. She had a loving husband but betrayed him to have an affair. She had a son whose life was destroyed due to her affair. She looks back at the past as if it were nothing. Her character stems well from subtly. The subtle decisions like not caring about the past or how others view her paints an interesting picture of her character. When she has control over the situation when it seems everyone secretly hates her, that is where the horror comes. A person who seemingly destroyed her son's life is actually talking to him everyday. The contrasting factor makes her fascinatingly terrifying. The film however had a few scenes where she reveals her emotions. Those scenes could have played out well but her subtly was what makes her special.
Finally we have the past which one would regret in the form of Joe, who was the 13 year old kid. Now a lot of people praised Charles Melton for an Oscar winning performance. Joe from the beginning actually respects his past as he does not have an affair with any other woman even if he had urges for other women. Up until he had sex with Elizabeth all had changed. The aftermath of Joe making out with Elizabeth which had him thinking that she genuinely cares for him but in reality she just did it for her pleasure and method acting. This ultimately made him regret the decisions he has made as he had always thought by having sex means true love. When he finally reconciles his lack of responsibility then and now with Gracie, he realises his regrets but it was all too late. Having sex does not mean true love. He had a family but what kind of life outside of the family did he have? He honestly could have had it all. Despite some solid characterisation Joe was not terrible but the film never had him do much. There were times where he had an urge to go out with another girl and eventually his boundaries were pushed because of Elizabeth. If the film had him done more than he would have been a real standout. He is just the character who regrets his past.
As we truly see what the past means to others and yourself,in storytelling the past is integral in building up for a payoff. Every scene here expertly uses action and imagery to create its impact. There was a scene which shows Elizabeth going through a magazine of Gracie's young times. From there she tries to mimic her appearance and actions shown at the same time we understand why she does this from the voiceover of her getting an award which shows that she wants that award again but we also see how Joe is attracted to her as he watches her getting that award. This one scene captures Elizabeth’s obsession with acting and getting that award along with Joe’s lust for her. Based on this one scene we were able to know why these characters act the way they do. However the set up and payoffs of the scenes which were constructed were not as meticulous as it tries to be. First off from the setup side, it felt like it did enough but the introduction of the characters were set up at allt. We never know who Elizabeth is or how this scandal came to be or what it was. The payoff though was small like a pebble. Gracie actually knows everything but how does this affect anyone? If a payoff had no emotional impact at all then the audience would assume that the scenes earlier on were just a big waste of time.
Visually it actually looks and feels like an award winning film. The camera movement is great as it highlights the characters emotions as it zooms in. The music was suspenseful and played at the right time.
In conclusion,May December has remarkable visuals, beautifully constructed scenes and great performances but it was all bogged down by the lack of a true establishment of the characters and how the characters seem to struggle to reach their potential. From this film though we truly see how the past can truly affect us even if we don’t know it.
Final Rating
— — — — — — 3.5/5 — — — — — —
