May December (2023)

Elizabeth is visiting with Gracie as research for her upcoming role as Gracie. Gracie and her considerably younger husband have what looks to be a pretty normal life. They've been together more than 20 years and their youngest two are about to graduate high school. The thing is, their relationship started back before he was even in high school.

The arrival of the actress puts some strain on the couple, who are understandably defensive about their history. We are often kept in the dark along with the actress, only learning bits as she asks questions of the family and others in the town. But is she being told the truth? Can a family born from a scandalous beginning truly ever be healthy?

I really enjoyed the way the story was told: how it made me kind of question things, but also just the very late '80s/early '90s vibe of it. That said, the ending was just a copout. We are left to draw our own conclusions about what Elizabeth took away from the experience, whether Gracie is a little girl in a woman's body or a manipulative monster, how the young hubby will proceed now. Generally, I don't mind an open end but, in this case, it felt like the final chapter was simply deleted at the last minute.

One last comment: every time the piano motif would pound out, I half-expected the cast to gather around a mirror to mug into it Californians-style.

C+