Juno 2007
Juno opens with the main character, Juno, getting a pregnancy test and confirming that after one experiment with sex, yes, she is pregnant. Juno is a smart-aleck 16-year-old who reminds me of a high school version of Janeane Garofalo. While Ellen Page, who plays Juno, does a great job with this character, the movie is filled with great characters and acting performances. My only problem was that sometimes Juno’s dialogue is too hip and clever for its own good, along with a general lack of any kind of panic to be in the situation she is in (though that would distract from the movie and probably give it some melodrama that it is intentionally avoiding). The goofy soundtrack is too up and center, especially in the very, very long opening credits. Those are quibbles from an otherwise very well-written and performed movie. I already really liked Jason Bateman and Michael Cera from Arrested Development and, although they don’t have any scenes together, they are playing nearly the same characters in a movie with much the same kind of tone as that acclaimed TV series.
While this movie is not at all for young high school students (the talk about sex and reproduction is pretty frank and also very casual), older high school students would probably enjoy it and hopefully not incorporate all of the obnoxious hipster slang and attitudes that would make you want to just hit them.
Anyway, in a year of dark and violent movies (even the musicals), this one is sweeter, funnier, and more genuine than just about anything out there. A-
Written: 12 Jan 2008
Owned on: Blu-ray, Digital