rating:
(out of
4 stars)United States, Canada, Hungary; 2007
Directed by Jason Reitman; produced by Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, Mason Novick, Russell Smith; written by Diablo Cody
Starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney, Olivia Thirlby
'Juno' stars Ellen Page as the title character, a 16-year old who gets pregnant and deals with this situation a little different than you might expect. So do the characters, including dad, stepmom and boyfriend, around her. The girl seems kind of weird to some, but she has a lot of wit, and handles a lot smarter than most in the same situation. The comedy is a result of her character and although this could have gone wrong at many points, it never does. I just love this film.
We understand that Juno is different from oher teenagers in a series of early scenes, including the ones where she learns she's pregnant and where she tells the father, Paulie (Michael Cera). As soon she tells her father (J.K. Simmons) and stepmother (Allison Janney) the film, and with it the comedy, really starts. Fortunately it does not turn out to be one of those dramatic stories filled with clichés, including the disapproving parents and the little-girl-alone-in-big-city nonsense. Juno decides to put the kid up for adoption and meets wannabe parents Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and Mark (Jason Bateman). She wants a baby a little too much, he seems indifferent about the whole thing, but Juno's choice is made.
We follow Juno through her pregnancy, but again the film carefully sidesteps the clichéd sequences. It focuses mainly on Juno and her business, sometimes crossing lines with her parents, boyfriend, best friend Leah (Olivia Thirlby), Vanessa, and in very interesting sequences, Mark. Every new situation is a delight to watch, and Ellen Page carries all of them. At age 20 this is a remarkable performance. I already loved her in 'Hard Candy', but here she has a perfect script to work with. She grabs this opportunity with both hands and never lets go; an Oscar-nomination seems to be a sure thing.
With a flawless story and the perfect leading lady there are still some things that could disappoint, but not here. The supporting performers are terrific as well. Cera showed a version of his character in 'Superbad' and repeats this effectively here, Bateman shines almost unnoticable, Janney is always reliable and together with Simmons they create one of the most loving parenting couple in the movies in years. The best supporting role is from Jennifer Garner who reaches an emotional level I never thought she would have. Finally there is the superbly matching soundtrack, almost a character on its own, creating a second voice-over next to the one Page provides. Again, I just love this film.