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Todd Haynes’ “May December” premiered at Cannes on Saturday. The dark comedy marks Haynes’ return to the world of narrative cinema after a three-year absence (2019’s feature “Black Water”).
The film, starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, follows an actress who travels to Maine to research the woman she intends to play in the film. It comes from a story by Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik, with the screenplay credited to Burch.
Sky Cinema has secured UK distribution rights, and judging by the first buzz, other markets may not be far behind. The film seems to continue the filmmaker’s interest in dysfunctional civilizations and twisted gender roles. His work in the early 1990s, including “Poison,” earned him a reputation as a leading figure in the new queer cinema (or “queer new wave”).
“May December” marks his fifth feature film collaboration with Julianne Moore, following 1995’s “Safe,” 2002’s Douglas Sirk tribute “Far from Heaven,” the eclectic Bob Dylan biopic (written by numerous Actors and actors play musicians) ) “I’m Not Here” in 2007 and the TV series “Wonderstruck” in 2011.
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IndieWire’s David Ehrlich called the film “the best movie premiering today at #Cannes2023”. That’s high praise indeed, considering he’s referring to another high-profile screening today: Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon.
Not surprisingly, Haynes’ feature film gets the word “camp” associated with it, a trope common to most of his films. Kyle Buchanan of The New York Times called the film “juicy, funny, campy, and instantly the standout film at Cannes.” He and Vanity Fair critic Richard Lawson also called CW star Charles Melton a particular standout, comparing him to “Elvis” breakout star Austin Butler.
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter’s film critic, was one of the few critical voices full of praise for him. “Natalie Portman and Todd Haynes regular Julianne Moore has done a fantastic job directing May-December, even if its emotional heat could be kicked up a notch,” he said.
As always, first reactions to major red carpet or festival screenings should be taken with a grain of salt. Compare, just this week, instant response To “Raiders of the Lost Ark and Fate and the Kingdom of Dials” with mixed negative reviews Dropped after hours.
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See the responses below:
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