Austinist Movie Review: Juno
Ellen Page? Brilliant
Allison Janney? She’s our hero
Jason Bateman? Want to have his babies
Michael Cera? See above re: the babies (don't look at us like that, he's legal)
So, we had extremely high hopes. In truth, it’s lovely and not quite perfect, but we’re willing to overlook the imperfections because there is just so much goodness in this movie.
Most of you know the plot by now: girl and boy are high school best friends, girl and boy have sex, girl gets pregnant, girl has to deal with consequences. Notice we said “girl,” not “girl and boy,” because this movie is all about Juno’s journey. Ellen Page imbues the character with toughness, a sassy intellect, and an underlying vulnerability that she owns with her whole being. We adored Page in this role. It’s hard not to, unless you just don’t have a soul.
Mild-mannered Paulie Bleeker (Cera), the father of the fetus, is too young to know what to do. Both of these kids are. But before you can chastise Paulie for being a deadbeat teen dad, watch closely the scene in which Juno tells him she’s pregnant. The emotions registering on his face are subtle but priceless; it’s obvious that his mind is exploding with shock and panic and who knows what else, yet he stays. The role is a great one for Cera, who is regarded for his impeccable delivery and awkward humor, and it reinforces the fact that he can actually, you know, act. His very first words to pregnant Juno are, “What should we do?” That word, “we,” says everything about his character. He’s kept out of the loop, mostly by Juno, throughout the film, but when we do see Paulie his love for Juno quietly radiates.
Juno is faced with a decision: get an abortion, or tell her parents (played by J.K. Simmons and Janney) and have the baby. It’s interesting how abortion is treated in film these days; it’s an option, sure, but rare is the character that goes through with it. However, the script doesn’t try to be preachy or take sides. After a rather uncomfortable experience at the clinic, Juno decides to have the baby and give it up for adoption. Enter Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and Mark Loring (Bateman), an upper-middle class couple that Juno and her friend contact, thanks to an ad for adoptive parents in the PennySaver. Vanessa and Mark seem like the perfect option for Juno’s baby – of course, there’s another side to every perfect couple. A really nice buildup occurs around the relationship between Juno and the Lorings, and just when you think the film will go in one direction, the plot turns and doesn’t become exactly what you were expecting.
Director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking) is almost as heavy-handed with certain elements of the film as screenwriter Diablo Cody is with some of the "hip" dialogue. He’s aiming for indie-cred, so be prepared for some rudimentary animation, discussions about who listens to better music, and a soundtrack that features somewhat obscure artists like The Moldy Peaches and the less-obscure-but-still-totally-indie Belle and Sebastian. The attempts at “quirky” occasionally detracted from the film’s better points, but most of the time it shines. In the end, Juno’s enduring sweetness, laugh-out-loud honesty and flawless cast melted our cold, black heart.
Comments [rss]
-
heyzeus
-
oh steph
-
debimama
-
Bre
-
oh steph
-
debimama
-
smack
-
Bre
-
themo
-
debimama
-
debimama
-
debimama
