as followers of the four star facebook feed might be aware, some guy named chris broke his leg on saturday. that chris was ME! now have a ton of time on my hands (and OFF my FEET! har!) and plan on spending it watching hell of movies and hopefully tossing out a review once a day. the first of the bunch is junegug, directed by phil morrison.
this sweet little indie comedy from 2005 was such a wonderful surprise of a film. once you think you know where it's going, it quickly changes gears and becomes something else entirely while still feeling like the same movie at its large-hearted core. while everyone turns out solid performances, (even the oc's resident tough-guy ben mckenzie does alright!) this is amy adams' movie. she completely dominates every scene she's in, both with sly facial tics and perfectly aloof line delivery that never come off as insincere or belittling to her character, and towards the end with a dramatic turn that rings surprisingly true and never verges towards the overwrought.
happily enough, i was born and raised in north carolina and went to school in the appalachian mountains, so i have it on pretty good authority that this movie really nails the middle class rural southern family experience while staying away from any broad southern stereotypes. some of my favorite moments were the the long shots detailing vacant backyards, empty bedrooms and dinging rooms as well as small plots of freshly plowed red clay that manage to convey the tone of life in the foothills without being heavy handed.
on top of the great comedic and dramatic performances and perfectly detailed southern setpeices, there's tons of added value in the film, not the least of which comes from the work of the fictitious outsider artist and civil war phallus enthusiast david wark.
all in all, this is an excellent little film that might have gone overlooked by some people. highly recommended, says me. now, if you'll excuse me, i have a handful of batman the animated series episodes to get through before the pain meds kick in.
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