Juno (B or 3/4 stars)
'Juno' is a dramedy directed by Jason Reitman & written by Diablo Cody (an ex-stripper). Juno (Ellen Page), an offbeat, middle-class 16 yr. old, smartly plans to give her unborn baby up to an upper-middle-class couple, Vanessa & Mark (Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman). That is until things go awkwardly awry. This film has been bugging me from the moment I sat down to watch it, til right now as I type. I hated parts, but a wonderful ending, & consistently convincing performance by Ellen Page makes it easier for me to swallow a 3-rating. Simple story, smug execution, but in the end, an intriguingly heartfelt movie-going experience.
One day, out of curiosity & boredom, Juno MacGuff decides to sleep with her best friend, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). To make sure she's pregnant, she takes 3 home pregnancy tests to be positive. The drugstore clerk (Rainn Wilson) dryly exclaims, "Your eggo is preggo, no doubt about it". Her equally dry reply, "Silencio! I just drank my weight in Sunny D and I have to go, Pronto!!!" It's this type of excruciatingly hip banter that is kept up for about the first 20 minutes of the film. I worried that I'd be in for an aggravating 92 min. of trendy babble and smart-ass quips (and trust me, they pop-up every now & then). I just find it hard to believe that everyone would possibly speak in this faux-precious lingo. The 'eccentricity' that the film tries to employ is forced & inauthentic.
However, after the 30 min. mark, the film settles in, deepens, & tells a wonderful tale. At first, Juno contemplates an abortion, but freaks out after learning that her child already has fingernails. She then decides to tell her dad & stepmom (the hysterical pairing of J.K. Simmons & Allison Janney) about her situation, and they lovingly support her. After Juno and her friend, Leah (Olivia Thirlby, I can't STAND her), browse through prospective adoptive parents in the Pennysaver, they land on a black & white photo of Vanessa & Mark. On 1st impression, we see what we think is Mr. & Mrs. Perfection ... how wrong we'll be. She's dying for a child, he's somewhat hesitant (but is masking it inside a proper, yuppie shell). When his friendship with Juno evolves into something else, the real drama begins.
Because there are moments of failed dialogue & extraneous indie-pop references, I felt a tad distanced while watching the film. When entire scenes are made up of quip-after-quip-after-quip, it can take you out of the moment & not care about certain 'unrealistic' characters and/or situations at hand. That said, 'Juno' is still one sassy movie. I laughed at times & welled-up when it was poignant. Not all of the dialogue is awful; in fact, a good deal of it is refreshing, intuitive, & clever. i.e., Allison Janney tears apart Juno's ultrasound technician with such biting fervor that I almost raised up out of my seat in evil pleasure. So, I'm sure Diablo Cody will get a screenplay nomination ... and for all my nagging on its' being self-adoring, 'I' even think she should get a nomination.
'Juno' offers stellar acting, and some interesting characters arcs. Michael Cera's Paulie gives heartfelt importance to Ellen Page's Juno. Their gentile scenes together ring the truest. Jason Bateman lends brilliant deadpan. Jennifer Garner is perfect in the movie's only 'straightforward' role. But it's Ellen Page who impresses the most. Wrapped up in a small but fiesty exterior, Juno is actually a naive little girl who's more vulnerable, and not quite as intelligent about the world as she initially thinks. Juno MacGuff comes out of the gate as all-knowing, wisecracking, and pretentious, but she matures ... just like this movie.
One day, out of curiosity & boredom, Juno MacGuff decides to sleep with her best friend, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). To make sure she's pregnant, she takes 3 home pregnancy tests to be positive. The drugstore clerk (Rainn Wilson) dryly exclaims, "Your eggo is preggo, no doubt about it". Her equally dry reply, "Silencio! I just drank my weight in Sunny D and I have to go, Pronto!!!" It's this type of excruciatingly hip banter that is kept up for about the first 20 minutes of the film. I worried that I'd be in for an aggravating 92 min. of trendy babble and smart-ass quips (and trust me, they pop-up every now & then). I just find it hard to believe that everyone would possibly speak in this faux-precious lingo. The 'eccentricity' that the film tries to employ is forced & inauthentic.
However, after the 30 min. mark, the film settles in, deepens, & tells a wonderful tale. At first, Juno contemplates an abortion, but freaks out after learning that her child already has fingernails. She then decides to tell her dad & stepmom (the hysterical pairing of J.K. Simmons & Allison Janney) about her situation, and they lovingly support her. After Juno and her friend, Leah (Olivia Thirlby, I can't STAND her), browse through prospective adoptive parents in the Pennysaver, they land on a black & white photo of Vanessa & Mark. On 1st impression, we see what we think is Mr. & Mrs. Perfection ... how wrong we'll be. She's dying for a child, he's somewhat hesitant (but is masking it inside a proper, yuppie shell). When his friendship with Juno evolves into something else, the real drama begins.
Because there are moments of failed dialogue & extraneous indie-pop references, I felt a tad distanced while watching the film. When entire scenes are made up of quip-after-quip-after-quip, it can take you out of the moment & not care about certain 'unrealistic' characters and/or situations at hand. That said, 'Juno' is still one sassy movie. I laughed at times & welled-up when it was poignant. Not all of the dialogue is awful; in fact, a good deal of it is refreshing, intuitive, & clever. i.e., Allison Janney tears apart Juno's ultrasound technician with such biting fervor that I almost raised up out of my seat in evil pleasure. So, I'm sure Diablo Cody will get a screenplay nomination ... and for all my nagging on its' being self-adoring, 'I' even think she should get a nomination.
'Juno' offers stellar acting, and some interesting characters arcs. Michael Cera's Paulie gives heartfelt importance to Ellen Page's Juno. Their gentile scenes together ring the truest. Jason Bateman lends brilliant deadpan. Jennifer Garner is perfect in the movie's only 'straightforward' role. But it's Ellen Page who impresses the most. Wrapped up in a small but fiesty exterior, Juno is actually a naive little girl who's more vulnerable, and not quite as intelligent about the world as she initially thinks. Juno MacGuff comes out of the gate as all-knowing, wisecracking, and pretentious, but she matures ... just like this movie.