Quick take: Junebug

Since I saw Junebug a few weeks ago, I've found myself recommending it to several people but having a hard time putting into words what I loved about the film.

At its heart, it's a movie about the meeting of two cultures. Newlyweds from Chicago travel to North Carolina to talk to an outsider artist about selling his work. They stay with the husband's family in the home where he grew up. Junebug stands out by being brutally realistic about both country folk and educated urbanites without ridiculing either group. During the visit, the husband's brother and sister-in-law (Amy Adams, infectious in a breakout role) are expecting a baby. But to me, the movie is about the Chicago couple and the different ways each of them straddles the urban and rural worlds. The writing is exceptional. So is the cinematography, which takes weird and original angles on simple settings such as a breakfast nook. The look is perfect for a movie that doesn't try too hard to be unique but isn't quite like anything else.