Synopsis
20 years after they were at the centre of a shocking tabloid scandal, Gracie (Julianne Moore) and her much younger husband Joe (Charles Melton) are seemingly happily married and sending their children off to college. Their dark past resurfaces after a famous actress Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) is cast as Gracie in an upcoming film. When Elizabeth arrives to spend several days meeting and observing the family, the carefully crafted image of a happy marriage begins to unravel.
Todd Haynes’ expertly-crafted psychodrama is witty, unpredictable and unsettling – a multi-layered, thorny character study that has no interest in easy resolutions. Portman and Moore – both playing unusually unsympathetic characters – are exceptional as always, while Melton is a revelation as Joe.
Festival & Awards
Gotham Awards, 2023 – Outstanding Supporting Performance (Charles Melton)
Cannes Film Festival, 2023
BFI London Film Festival, 2023
Quotes
★★★★★ “Todd Haynes’ best film since Far from Heaven is an instant camp classic” – Tara Brady, The Irish Times
★★★★ “Serpentine in its plotting, queasily unsettling in its subject matter, and very, very funny” – Wendy Ide, The Observer
Film Info
117 mins | USA | 2023 | Cert: 16
Director:
Todd Haynes
Cast:
Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Charles Melton