The screenings of May December, starring Natalie Portman, are a good opportunity to look back on her career. It is rare that we have the chance to follows a star throughout most of her life, and admire the way she navigates her talent and career.
Portman broke out at the age of 13 in 1994 with the successful action hit Leon, after which she starred in several key roles - the second trilogy of "Star Wars", several dramas (Cold Mountain, Anywhere But Here) - and worked with some of the best actors and directors in Hollywood. Although these films are not particularly important, they established her image as the all-American girl.
Leon shaped her image of Beauty and the Beast, and one can read the interesting films in her career as a movement between these two poles. From Garden State onwards, with hits like Closer, V for Vendetta, Brothers, Black Swan, and A Tale of Love and Darkness, Portman explores the dark places and brings to the screen heroines who are anxious about their place in the world. As she grows, the burden of the of life becomes more apparent in her choice of characters and in the current part of her career she seems to be preoccupied with the way a female image is produced, displayed, and played. Jackie, Vox Lux and May December are a surprising chapter of a mature star who looks at her achievements and dares to challenge herself with characters who break the image she created for herself.
There are not that many actresses in the last thirty years with a body-of-works as magnificent as hers. While daring to step out of her comfort zone revives curiosity for her next films, this month's program is an opportunity to enjoy the ones she has already made.
