Junebug (2005)

I was blown away by Junebug. I'm so glad it didn't pass into film archives without my seeing it first (it came out when I first moved to Guatemala, so I hadn't really heard of it until recently).

Madeleine, a cultured art dealer, quickly marries charming George in Chicago. A few months later they visit George's family in North Carolina. The culture shock is unbelievable for it to be in the same country. George's brother and parents are suspicious of Madeleine, but his sister-in-law, a high school drop out and a mouth that won't stop, is completely infatuated with Madeleine's refinedness. As the family interacts, we discover what is most important to each one.

The editing and photography are core to the style of Junebug. The racy couple from Chicago is contrasted with the slow and simple Southern folk. The traditional taboos that keep people from talking in the conservative family both keep the family together and apart as we see the secret lives of each one and the relatively superficial interactions on both sides.

The film is glorious.

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