A lot of the time, I like to watch pieces that are driven by character, rather than plot. This was the reason why I watched "Junebug", a very overlooked film about small town life.
The script itself was well done, with a good pacing and a lot of nice moments of dialogue, particularly in the scene where Madeleine is helping Johnny with his paper. Having not read Huckleberry Finn, I probably missed out on a context which was reflective of the plot and message of the film.
Having only witnessed Embeth Davidtz in her arguably most popular role as "Miss Honey" in Matilda and a small guest starring role on Grey's Anatomy, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from her. I was pleasantly surprised by her performance as it was fairly nuanced with a lot of nice, authentic moments that help show who Madeleine is as a person.
I was also impressed with Ben McKenzie's performance as "Johnny", George's brother who is studying for his GED. He brought his dialogue to life in a way that wasn't so obviously highlighted but served as a refreshing, grounded undertone to Madeleine's slightly pretentious personality.
I saw a lot of reviews for this film from both critics and audiences and the one constant positive note was the standout performance from Amy Adams, even in a supporting role as "Ashley", a pregnant, whimsical woman. They were not wrong. I was blown away yet again by Adams' range and depth of performance. She took on the role with her own personal flair, while staying true to the character as written in the screenplay. She shows a lot of range in this piece with arguably not a lot of complexity to work with. The scene in which she talks with George in the hospital was my favourite scene of the movie, simply because Adams captured the screen and stole the show.
Overall, this movie has a lot of nice moments that were well acted, but I feel as though it is heavily carried by Amy Adams' flawless performance. A lot of my enjoyment came from watching Adams in what should have been her first Oscar-winning turn.
The script itself was well done, with a good pacing and a lot of nice moments of dialogue, particularly in the scene where Madeleine is helping Johnny with his paper. Having not read Huckleberry Finn, I probably missed out on a context which was reflective of the plot and message of the film.
Having only witnessed Embeth Davidtz in her arguably most popular role as "Miss Honey" in Matilda and a small guest starring role on Grey's Anatomy, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from her. I was pleasantly surprised by her performance as it was fairly nuanced with a lot of nice, authentic moments that help show who Madeleine is as a person.
I was also impressed with Ben McKenzie's performance as "Johnny", George's brother who is studying for his GED. He brought his dialogue to life in a way that wasn't so obviously highlighted but served as a refreshing, grounded undertone to Madeleine's slightly pretentious personality.
I saw a lot of reviews for this film from both critics and audiences and the one constant positive note was the standout performance from Amy Adams, even in a supporting role as "Ashley", a pregnant, whimsical woman. They were not wrong. I was blown away yet again by Adams' range and depth of performance. She took on the role with her own personal flair, while staying true to the character as written in the screenplay. She shows a lot of range in this piece with arguably not a lot of complexity to work with. The scene in which she talks with George in the hospital was my favourite scene of the movie, simply because Adams captured the screen and stole the show.
Overall, this movie has a lot of nice moments that were well acted, but I feel as though it is heavily carried by Amy Adams' flawless performance. A lot of my enjoyment came from watching Adams in what should have been her first Oscar-winning turn.