Natalie Portman makes self-possession look practised: we can see how carefully her characters manage a voice, a look or a response. We admire that precision, though she needs writing that lets something less controlled emerge.
Fi1m perspective
The notebook matters in May December (2023). Portman's Elizabeth watches Julianne Moore's Gracie with the attention of an actress gathering material, and begins borrowing her lisp and the tilt of her head. Todd Haynes makes this scrutiny funny and unpleasant, and Portman is good at making professional diligence look intrusive. There is pleasure in noticing each small adjustment, along with discomfort at how readily she helps herself to another person's behaviour.
That composure was already there in her debut, Luc Besson's Léon: The Professional (1994). As Mathilda, she holds her own beside Jean Reno without making the child seem safe. We were moved when Léon takes her in, because Reno makes the kindness seem unfamiliar and Portman shows how badly Mathilda needs it. Besson's writing is less careful. It too often treats a twelve-year-old's confidence as permission to put her in intimate, violent circumstances, and the actors cannot make that acceptable.
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) brought wider recognition as Padmé Amidala, followed by work in both franchises and independent dramas. For Black Swan (2010), preparation included ballet training. With Jackie (2016) and May December, acting and self-presentation become subjects in themselves. These parts suit her attention to how a person presents herself, though the danger is that every choice becomes too noticeable.
In May December, the clothes and framing help Portman's imitation. April Napier puts the women into similar washed pastels, while Blauvelt repeatedly places them in the same mirror. Their resemblance develops through costume and posture as much as dialogue, giving Portman's small changes something concrete to work against. Affonso Gonçalves's brisk editing helps keep all this watching and copying from becoming ponderous.
Elizabeth is also the weaker part, with little life beyond her research. Samy Burch's script gives Portman a job to perform but too few opportunities to suggest who Elizabeth is when she is not working. Charles Melton is the stronger reason to care about the film. Start with May December, provided you can tolerate an evening with an actress who treats other people as material.
Biography
Natalie Portman is an Israeli-American actress and producer. Born Natalie Hershlag on 9 June 1981 in Jerusalem, she moved to the United States as a child and began acting professionally in her early teens.
She made her film debut as Mathilda in Léon: The Professional (1994) and gained international recognition as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999–2005). Portman graduated from Harvard University with a degree in psychology in 2003. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Black Swan (2010).
Portman starred as Elizabeth and served as a producer on May December (2023).
