Peter has returned to his old Louisiana community of Natchitoches Parish, and while touring through old plantations he meets Maria (Tommye Myrick). She too is a robust, independent presence, who wants to move from her small town into something bigger, and to break from the overbearing nature of her mother, and the unhappiness of her brother. Peter and Maria soon kick off a romance that's cinematically classic, comprised of gushing feelings and purity, but they're always seen as people who come from a specific place that Jenkins cares about so deeply. 

There's something to be said about the bumpier parts of "Cane River," like domestic scenes in Maria and Peter's respective homes that are simply shot in wide, as if we're watching a theatrical production. Even the flaws seem to be telling of a filmmaker who did not receive the support—i.e. budgeting—that his story deserved, a further emphasis on what Jenkins' cinematic output could have been. 

Defiantly, “Cane River” has the same ease as riding horseback alongside Peter—it’s all about taking in the scenery and the romance, and the movie has no rush to get where it’s eventually headed. Jenkins shows a refreshing approach to lead with feeling more than plot, as so much of "Cane River" is about beholding Peter and Maria and the beauty of two people in love. Romain and Myrick build a lovely on-screen relationship, laughing and learning together, providing a centerpiece for “Cane River” that Jenkins then builds around with New Orleans scenery.  

A major component to Jenkins’ accomplished atmosphere is his roster of gorgeous ballads from Roy Glover, which deserve their own release. Some sequences even have their lengths dictated by Glover’s music, turning stolen moments into candid music videos (as when Maria’s brother gets his own sequence about a life that involves going to work, going to the bar, and going to sleep). When it comes to Maria and Peter’s romance, Glover’s first ballad is especially memorable, and it echoes throughout the rest of the movie. Every time you hear its main melody chime in as played on harmonica, it has a nearly Pavlovian effect that reminds you to just cuddle up, and relax.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7s7vGnqmempWnwW%2BvzqZmq52mnrK4v46cmKedXae2t7HRZqSorpmaerOx1aKcsGViZX9x