Peg: I don't want your water breaking. We just had the upholstery cleaned.
Like many modern indie/art-house films, 'Junebug' isn't so much a movie you enjoy watching as much respect how intricate it is. Definitely not a movie I'd watch again, 'Junebug' while almost too disturbingly realistic is worth watching for the near-perfect ensemble cast. 'Junebug' tells the story of gallery owner / agent Madeline (Embeth Davidth) and her journey to South with her new husband George (Alessandro Nivola) to poach a client and meet George's dysfunctional and extremely unhappy family. There's George's dad, Euguene (Scott Wilson) an almost mute hermit who gets bossed around by his over-bearing wife Peg (Celia Weston) who basically hates everyone, Geroge's closed-minded, insensitive and aggressive brother Johnny (The O.C.'s Ben McKenzie) and Johnny's very generous, very dumb and very pregnant wife Ashley (Amy Adams).
The story never resolves itself in the end and it's frustrating to see all these character's problems never solved. However, for the one hour and forty-six minutes we do have with these characters we learn a lot about them and their nature from the odd, funny and sometimes flat-out cruel things they do. The film's writing is solid and realistic, but the directing needs work. Most of the transitions are uneven and detract from the story. The acting, like previously mentioned, is near-perfect. Embeth Davidth is fantastic in her role as the "main character" while Laurel Canyon's Alessandro Nivola is compelling as the good-natured hick turned city-boy George. Celia Weston is magnificent as the mother-in-law from hell and Scott Wilson while quiet is brilliantly subtle and believable in his role. The weakest performance of the film comes from Ben McKenzie who fails to connect with the human side of his ignorant red-neck character. McKenzie does a great job at creating a caricature, but unlike the other actors fails to make his character believable and realistic. On the exact opposite side of the spectrum is Amy Adams. Adams, the real stand-out of the film, provides the most powerful performance of the film. She's so dead-on and perfect, especially in her hospital scene, it's no surprise she got an Oscar nomination for her work here.
All in all, I recommend 'Junebug' to those who appreciate film and not so much those looking for an enjoyable movie-watching experience. 'Junebug' makes no excuses for being so bleak and doesn't offer a second of mainstream entertainment. Maybe that's what makes it so special. Grade: B
Like many modern indie/art-house films, 'Junebug' isn't so much a movie you enjoy watching as much respect how intricate it is. Definitely not a movie I'd watch again, 'Junebug' while almost too disturbingly realistic is worth watching for the near-perfect ensemble cast. 'Junebug' tells the story of gallery owner / agent Madeline (Embeth Davidth) and her journey to South with her new husband George (Alessandro Nivola) to poach a client and meet George's dysfunctional and extremely unhappy family. There's George's dad, Euguene (Scott Wilson) an almost mute hermit who gets bossed around by his over-bearing wife Peg (Celia Weston) who basically hates everyone, Geroge's closed-minded, insensitive and aggressive brother Johnny (The O.C.'s Ben McKenzie) and Johnny's very generous, very dumb and very pregnant wife Ashley (Amy Adams).
The story never resolves itself in the end and it's frustrating to see all these character's problems never solved. However, for the one hour and forty-six minutes we do have with these characters we learn a lot about them and their nature from the odd, funny and sometimes flat-out cruel things they do. The film's writing is solid and realistic, but the directing needs work. Most of the transitions are uneven and detract from the story. The acting, like previously mentioned, is near-perfect. Embeth Davidth is fantastic in her role as the "main character" while Laurel Canyon's Alessandro Nivola is compelling as the good-natured hick turned city-boy George. Celia Weston is magnificent as the mother-in-law from hell and Scott Wilson while quiet is brilliantly subtle and believable in his role. The weakest performance of the film comes from Ben McKenzie who fails to connect with the human side of his ignorant red-neck character. McKenzie does a great job at creating a caricature, but unlike the other actors fails to make his character believable and realistic. On the exact opposite side of the spectrum is Amy Adams. Adams, the real stand-out of the film, provides the most powerful performance of the film. She's so dead-on and perfect, especially in her hospital scene, it's no surprise she got an Oscar nomination for her work here.
All in all, I recommend 'Junebug' to those who appreciate film and not so much those looking for an enjoyable movie-watching experience. 'Junebug' makes no excuses for being so bleak and doesn't offer a second of mainstream entertainment. Maybe that's what makes it so special. Grade: B