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Here's my review of Juno. I saw it last week, actually, but didn't get around to reviewing it until now. Really lovely film; everything you've heard about it is true.
Juno
Juno is a film which, on paper, would seem rather pedestrian: a coming-of-age tale about a young girl who accidently becomes pregnant, and has to grapple with the responsibilities that result. But it diverges from the typical in subtly important ways, and relies on superior execution and wonderful performances to set it apart.
Starring Ellen Page as the title character, the film opens with Juno drinking heavily from a jug of orange juice in order to take a home pregnancy test; for the third time, we learn. Like the first two, it comes back positive, and she’s forced to tell her father (J.K. Simmons) and stepmother (Allison Janney) the news.
It is in the scene where she informs them of her pregnancy that we first realize that Juno is smarter than your typical movie. Juno’s father is understandably upset, but doesn’t go on a tirade, berate her, or do any of the other things you’d expect a two-dimensional father character to do in the movies. He’s disappointed, but measured, and genuinely surprised (about the father’s identity, in particular).
That father would be Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera), the timid marathon runner that exudes tentativeness in everything he does…except in his support of Juno. The audience realizes early on that he harbors significant feelings for her, even though she’s a bit too wrapped up in the pregnancy to notice right away.
Juno decides to give the child up for adoption to Mark and Vanessa Loring (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner), a seemingly perfect couple that can’t have children of their own. And with them, the film again takes seemingly flat characters (nervous, uptight yuppies), and turns them into real people. Mark is secretly alarmed at the rate at which he’s become a full-fledged adult, and spends time with Juno in an effort to recapture some elements of his youth. Vanessa’s nervousness turns out to be only a reflection of how seriously she takes the possibility of motherhood.
The secret of Juno’s success is in the depth of its characters, and the way the actors bring them to life. Much has been said of Ellen Page’s performance, and there’s a good chance we’ll see her at the Oscars before all is said and done. Everything you’ve heard is true; though she wisecracks incessantly through the first half of the film, we become gradually aware that it’s all a charade. She sees a world she believes is largely indifferent to her, and replying in kind is her best defense mechanism.
Michael Cera plays timid, insecure characters so well that you have to wonder how much of it is actually a performance. From Arrested Development to Superbad, and now to Juno, the typecasting is thoroughly complete.
Simmons and Janney are lovely as Juno’s parents, though Simmons gets the better lines, along with a heartfelt speech to his daughter about whether or not two people can go on being happy together forever. He tells her the truth, and he tells it to her in exactly the way she needs to hear it.
The film’s music is noteworthy, if not only because several of its songs are performed by Kimya Dawson. They have a decidedly indie slant, and their overuse actually represents one of the film’s few flaws. Nevertheless, the song that closes the film perfectly captures the movie’s mood, and will be stuck in your head for days afterwards.
Somehow, Juno manages to traverse well-tread subject matter without ever falling into cliché. It details heartbreak without coming off as hokey or manipulative. It’s one of 2007’s best films, largely because it recognizes that an investment in its characters will lend a lasting emotional resonance to all that they say and do.
Juno is a film which, on paper, would seem rather pedestrian: a coming-of-age tale about a young girl who accidently becomes pregnant, and has to grapple with the responsibilities that result. But it diverges from the typical in subtly important ways, and relies on superior execution and wonderful performances to set it apart.
Starring Ellen Page as the title character, the film opens with Juno drinking heavily from a jug of orange juice in order to take a home pregnancy test; for the third time, we learn. Like the first two, it comes back positive, and she’s forced to tell her father (J.K. Simmons) and stepmother (Allison Janney) the news.
It is in the scene where she informs them of her pregnancy that we first realize that Juno is smarter than your typical movie. Juno’s father is understandably upset, but doesn’t go on a tirade, berate her, or do any of the other things you’d expect a two-dimensional father character to do in the movies. He’s disappointed, but measured, and genuinely surprised (about the father’s identity, in particular).
That father would be Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera), the timid marathon runner that exudes tentativeness in everything he does…except in his support of Juno. The audience realizes early on that he harbors significant feelings for her, even though she’s a bit too wrapped up in the pregnancy to notice right away.
Juno decides to give the child up for adoption to Mark and Vanessa Loring (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner), a seemingly perfect couple that can’t have children of their own. And with them, the film again takes seemingly flat characters (nervous, uptight yuppies), and turns them into real people. Mark is secretly alarmed at the rate at which he’s become a full-fledged adult, and spends time with Juno in an effort to recapture some elements of his youth. Vanessa’s nervousness turns out to be only a reflection of how seriously she takes the possibility of motherhood.
The secret of Juno’s success is in the depth of its characters, and the way the actors bring them to life. Much has been said of Ellen Page’s performance, and there’s a good chance we’ll see her at the Oscars before all is said and done. Everything you’ve heard is true; though she wisecracks incessantly through the first half of the film, we become gradually aware that it’s all a charade. She sees a world she believes is largely indifferent to her, and replying in kind is her best defense mechanism.
Michael Cera plays timid, insecure characters so well that you have to wonder how much of it is actually a performance. From Arrested Development to Superbad, and now to Juno, the typecasting is thoroughly complete.
Simmons and Janney are lovely as Juno’s parents, though Simmons gets the better lines, along with a heartfelt speech to his daughter about whether or not two people can go on being happy together forever. He tells her the truth, and he tells it to her in exactly the way she needs to hear it.
The film’s music is noteworthy, if not only because several of its songs are performed by Kimya Dawson. They have a decidedly indie slant, and their overuse actually represents one of the film’s few flaws. Nevertheless, the song that closes the film perfectly captures the movie’s mood, and will be stuck in your head for days afterwards.
Somehow, Juno manages to traverse well-tread subject matter without ever falling into cliché. It details heartbreak without coming off as hokey or manipulative. It’s one of 2007’s best films, largely because it recognizes that an investment in its characters will lend a lasting emotional resonance to all that they say and do.
Last edited by Yoda; 04-30-08 at 10:55 PM.
Reason: Added border to image.
