May December

"Todd Haynes is a filmmaker who enjoys telling stories that stir the core of society, poking at what is most rotten, ridiculous, and unexpected. And it's precisely this kind of story that we follow in May December a film about an actress (Natalie Portman) who meets the woman (Julianne Moore) she will portray in her next film. The reason for making a film about her? A few years ago, she had a relationship with a much younger, underage boy, who is now her husband (Charles Melton). From there, we follow a plot with three layers: Haynes's observations on how cinema exploits tragedies; how society views a relationship like this, born from a crime; and how society itself also descends upon these people, forcing relationships that don't exist. It's a mature, intense film with outstanding performances (Portman, Moore, and especially Melton shine here), reaffirming Haynes (of Carol and Far from Heaven) as one of the most provocative filmmakers in action, poking at American society."