"Junebug" Makes My September

I was a tad bit hesitant to check out "Junebug" because it was released on the heels of You and Me and Everyone We Know. Although I highly recommended the latter flick, I was semi-OD'ing on ensemble pieces about people's near misses when it comes to human connections. (I would classify Happy Endings in this category as well.) "Junebug," directed by Phil Morrison, is about a Southern guy who returns to his hometown and family with his new art dealer, European-bred wife. What makes this film special is the attention to detail with that literary device "a sense of place." I was practically genuflecting in the aisles when I saw the camera stay steady as it studied an empty dining room, a woman standing on her front lawn, or an air mattress inflating. If you dug those type of scenes in Stanley Kubrick's "2001" or Todd Haynes's "Safe," please check out "Junebug." As well, Celia Weston, Frank Hoyt Taylor, and Benjamin McKenzie give standout performances.