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Junebug a standout among GLBT films showing at the Seattle International Film Festival

Junebug a standout among GLBT films showing at the Seattle International Film Festival
by Derich Mantonela - SGN A&E Writer Summer Storm Germany, Directed/written by Marco Kreuzpaintner. (Nordic A&F twinks go camping). Fairly easy to take teen lust/angst soap opera set in a rowing regatta where one of the crews is all-Gay. Best friends Tobi and Achim are reaching a crisis in their relationship. Tobi yearns for Achim sexually but the latter has crossed over to the other side (he likes girls). Meanwhile, Tobi has some explaining to do to his girlfriend namely, why he isnt interested in screwing her. Sexual stereotypes come crashing down when the hunky leader of the Gay crew sets out to confound and seduce the biggest redneck among the straight rubes (so gullible) and everyone ends up being forced to re-examine his sexual prejudices. Preposterously contrived and predictably pat, but who cares? The boys frolic with their shirts off most of the time, A&F-type twinks all. Missing In America USA, Directed/written by Garbielle Savage Dockterman. (Contrived tearjerker has a film school look). Guilt-ridden, reclusive, anti-social Vietnam vet (Danny Glover) is forced out of his Northwest woods hideout funk when hes required to care for the half-Vietnamese daughter of one of his old war buddies, an Agent Orange victim. This tearjerker telegraphs every sentimental cliche and seems more of a technically competent film school thesis than a real movie. So sincere and well-meant that it comes across as phony and calculated. Irritating from the get-go is Sheldon Mirowitz syrupy, tinkly, generic music. Junebug USA, Directed by Phil Morrison/Written by Angus Maclachlan. (Quirky characters and situations, fresh writing/directing distinguish this indie winner). An ambitious Chicago art gallery manager (Embeth Davidtz outstanding, as is the entire stellar cast) heads to North Carolina with her hunky new younger husband (Allesandro Novola) to recruit a loony artist specializing in Civil War genital mutilations, who lives near where the husband grew up. They stay with the latters family, which turns out to be a decidedly odd lot, including a handsome but sullenly hostile brother (Ben McKenzie) who seems perpetually mad at his sweet, dotty wife (Amy Adams) for being very pregnant. They all live with the parents, another odd couple. The gallery agent does her best to cope with, and be sympathetic to, her in-laws, but she is out of her element here. An original mix of zany and deadpan, sophistication and rural funk, with surreal undertones, Junebug keeps us on our toes with its intelligence, its unsettling tone and its Where is this going? script convolutions.