The Cannes Film Festival premiered Todd Haynes’ new romantic drama ‘May December’ on Saturday night, which highlights the gender inequality in society. The movie tells the story of a woman, played by Julianne Moore, whose relationship with a 13-year-old boy drew national tabloid headlines. The film sheds light on the way women who break society’s rules are held to much stricter standards than badly behaving men.
‘We expect this of men, these transgressions. We don’t of women. And we think ‘what about her family? What about her kids?” Haynes told Reuters. ‘So the women are also burdened with an extra and unequal amount of criticism when this is the very same thing that can happen with people.’
The film also stars Natalie Portman, who plays an actor that inserts herself into the couple’s life to prepare for a starring role in the film version of Moore’s story. Her often boundary-crossing presence dredges up uncomfortable questions that Moore’s husband, played by Charles Melton of ‘Riverdale’, had never fully considered before.
‘May December’ is a thought-provoking film that tackles a sensitive topic in society. It is a must-watch for those who want to understand the gender inequality that exists in our world today.