There isn't a lot of action to drive the movie along
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
After a whirlwind romance, sophisticated Chicago art dealer Madeleine and Southern gent George get married. She's never met his family, so when they go to visit a reclusive artist in North Carolina, they extend their trip to take in his folks. The down-to-earth group are his mother Peg, father Eugene, taciturn brother Johnny and Johnny's pregnant wife Ashley. None of them know quite what to make of the urban sophisticate and only Ashley welcomes her with open arms. Can people from such different worlds really find common ground or are they doomed to misunderstand one another?
Director Phil Morrison's film looks exactly like what it is; a low-budget independent movie that has to rely more on its cast and script than high-tech gadgetry and flashy visuals. It is shot on the hoof on digital video and fits the naturalistic style of acting and dialogue. It's almost as if you're a silent observer of the characters' lives, privy to their most intimate and often embarrassing moments. The urban sophistication of Chicago and the gallery world Madeleine inhabits is in stark relief to the earthy reality of George's small town origins. With all her talk of artists and the gallery, she seems like an alien in comparison with the plain-talking bumpkinish folk of George's quiet backwater. The potential for conflict is obvious from the outset, but is never realised in anything other than uncomfortable silences and abortive attempts at understanding. Shooting with a static camera extends the sense of discomfort to the audience because you never feel like you can escape and you're forced to endure the pregnant pauses and uncertainty of what to do. Scenes linger and don't generally have dramatic conclusions. The result is a slow-moving, but often engaging character piece. Morrison allows his actors plenty of space to create the characters and establish their relationships. This leads to naturalistic performances that rely on subtle underplaying. Though Madeleine is the true fish out of water, everyone is portrayed as living in their own little bubble, never truly connecting with those around them. This leads to a great deal of miscommunication, suspicion and barely veiled resentment. That's not to say the film is a catalogue of misfortune; there is gentle comedy running throughout and Ashley is almost always on hand to leaven the situations. I can imagine it won't be to everyone's taste as there aren't a lot of incidents to lend the movie dramatic impetus. But if you're more interested in character development than flash-bang theatrics, there are far worse ways to spend a hundred and six minutes.
The screenplay by Angus MacLachlan is the sort of sparsely written script beloved of independent film-makers around the globe. The central premise is simple; a clash of cultures is brought about by the marriage of two people from different social spheres. It's the characters that make the situation more interesting. Madeleine is probably the least interesting of them as she falls into the mould of the worldly-wise thrusting modern woman. So it's clear from the outset her world-view will be completely at odds with those of George's less educated, more down-to-earth family. While her husband and his family are muted in their responses to all things, Ashley is a whirling dervish of energy and enthusiasm. She is written as an uncomplicated and naïve girl that hasn't had time to become jaded by the world and her situation. Even in the face of overwhelming indifference from her surly and frustrated husband she manages to remain upbeat. She finds joy in simple pleasures and is desperate to experience all she can if only vicariously. She's the protagonist viewers will cleave to because she's the only one that reveals what she's feeling, not having the sophistication to hide it. Through the parents we come to realise why George and Johnny have turned out so emotionally closed. They rarely talk about what they're feeling and clearly find it hard to express themselves. The dialogue reflects the differing priorities of Madeleine and George's family. While he remains virtually silent throughout, she spends her time trying to read more into simple actions than may really be there. This is contrasted by the family's stilted conversations and Ashley's almost incessant chatter.
Embeth Davidtz is sophistication personified from her perfectly coiffed head to her pedicured feet as Madeleine. She has one of those cultured Mid-Atlantic accents that signal breeding and erudition. She also looks totally different to the other characters, being long and lean and too delicate to have done a day's hard work in her life. She shares nice chemistry with Alessandro Nivola, who plays her husband and looks suitably nonplussed by small town life.
Nivola manages the role of George well, embodying the man caught between two worlds. With Madeleine he is warm and charming, but in his parents' house he looks like an outsider, avoiding conflict by sleeping. Amy Adams impresses as livewire Ashley, deserving her Oscar nod. Though the performance is quite big, there are enough layers to it for the character to feel realistic. She's flighty, fickle and attention-seeking but never malicious and pretty much all her faults can be put down to her youth, inexperience and general excitability. So she feels human and though she may be irritating at times, it's hard to actively dislike her. Benjamin McKenzie shows there is more to him than the soap opera acting of "The OC" as George's sullen brother Johnny, illustrating self-loathing and frustration. Celia Weston does great disapproving mother acting as Peg.
The original score by Yo La Tengo is a rather odd collection of music that runs from yodelling to 60s' style pop with plenty of tootling flutes and strummed guitar. The soundtrack also features classical selections from Vivaldi and some passages of sad piano that reflect the content of their accompanying scenes. The incidental music is somewhat sparse, underlining the use of silence in the script, so there is little you could call a body of work.
"Junebug" is the sort of film that will appeal to those that prefer character driven pieces to action and no doubt those that have an interest in filmmaking. It may not be the most diverting film I've ever seen, but it is painstakingly crafted and serves as a showcase for the actors involved. It demonstrates what you can do with a shoestring budget, having received an Oscar nomination. I suspect it will find its home on DVD as the subject matter sometimes struggles to fill the big screen. But if you're after oddball characters and committed performances, there are far worse films you could watch.
More details
Soundtrack
Average
How does it compare to others by the same director?
Not applicable
Value for Money
Satisfactory
What format are you reviewing?
Film only
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