‘May December’ Trailer …

Here is the trailer for Todd Haynes’ “May December.” It is set to open the 61st New York Film Festival, making its North American premiere at Alice Tully Hall, on September 29th.

Haynes is the maestro behind such acclaimed works as “Safe,” “Far From Heaven,” and “Carol.” Another female-led picture is not that surprising coming from him. His last film, 2019’s “Dark Waters,” a commercial departure for him.

Here is the synopsis:

Moore and Melton star as married couple whose 20-year relationship inspired a national tabloid obsession at its offset. Now preparing to send their grown children off to college – as Melton reconciles with empty nest syndrome in his mid-30s – an actress (Natalie Portman) embeds with the family to study them for an upcoming film where she’ll play Moore. The couple buckles under the pressure as Portman probes as deeply as she can for an honest performance.

You can read my review, dispatched at the Cannes Film Festival. I wrote this was “Haynes going back to his self-aware cinematic days, think 1995’s brilliant “Safe.” I added —

Haynes and DP Christopher Blauvelt, a longtime collaborator of Haynes’ close friend Kelly Reichardt, shoot the film as this campy and satirical treatise on art, performance and marriage. Marcelo Zarvos’ piano-tinged score evokes melodrama at its apex, it drives the film.

This is far from the conventional (albeit entertaining) style of Haynes’ last film (“Dark Waters.”) It’s more reliant on giving the audience a tongue-in-cheek look at this messed up couple. It relies on camp to build character, which isn’t an easy thing to pull off, but Haynes does so, eloquently.

Before its debut at Cannes, “May December” had no U.S. distribution. Then Netflix bought it for a large sum during the festival. This is the kind of kitschy, purposely campy, film that, although well reviewed, would have maybe had a tough time finding an audience at arthouse cinemas.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved this film, but Netflix buying “May December” for $11 million at least gives it a major platform. I get it, the times have changed, what’s the value of such a niche film out there in the market? Not much.

What the streaming giant will now give Haynes’ film is the biggest audience of his career but, in doing so, continue to bury the theatrical arthouse business. I suspect the fact that this film is based on the Mary Kay Letourneau story will be part of Netflix’s marketing, millions will watch it out of curiosity.

“May December” will be released in theaters on November 17th and on Netflix’s global streaming service December 1st.