You can have great actors, fantastic filmmakers, and breathtaking cinematography—but if you don’t have convincing dialogue, it’s hard to fall in love with a movie. Thankfully, that’s not a problem for master filmmaker Todd Haynes’ latest film, May December (now on Netflix). May December doesn’t just feature some great lines; it has the single best, most unexpectedly moving piece of dialogue of the year.
Written by Samy Burch (who also penned the recently un-shelved film Coyote vs. Acme), the film absolutely crackles with fantastic dialogue. It’s often witty, unexpected, and subtle, with each subsequent viewing revealing more surprises (I’ve seen the film three times, and it only gets better).
The film opens with Gracie (Julianne Moore) and her much-younger husband Joe (Charles Melton) preparing for a neighborhood barbecue at their home. Joe gets the barbecue going, while Gracie puts the finishing touches on a cake. She approaches the fridge quietly and opens the door. Suddenly, heavy, dramatic music cues, as Haynes’ camera crash-zooms into Gracie, as she stares inside.
