Austinist: Austinist Movie Review: Juno

heyzeus

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 08:38:33 -0600

I'd just like to add that I liked the movie overall and its performances are strong. But the soundtrack was like a cheese grater of grating gratiness. After it was over, I felt like taking a long immersion bath in music by people that can actually sing. If Juno claims to love Patti Smith and the Stooges so much, why does the soundtrack focus entirely on bedroom-accoustic warbling?

oh steph

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 02:24:09 -0600

Alright, I can respect those views, and partially agree with them. When Rainn Wilson uses the word "homeslice" at the beginning of the film, I really thought it was going to be aweful, but I ended up loving these adorable characters and their wacky quirks (orange tic tacs, I mean, seriously?). Bre - I recognize that you didn't hate it; I was more talking to M.O. and debi. Mostly I loved it for the squirm-inducing Michael Cera upper thigh shots, but then, I am a dirty old woman.... Perhaps Diablo Cody won't be so precious and uber-hip in her next outing....we can only hope.

debimama

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 17:34:26 -0600

oh steph – I personally think a movie should be about the story, not the writer. For me, it's impossible to suspend disbelief and really get into a story if the writer's voice is screaming from the screen - from the mouth of every character. Well, maybe it's alright for a movie like Dumb and Dumber or whatever, but this movie is trying to be much more. The pointless pop-culture soliloquies and the super-indie everything else, just killed it for me. I felt like I was being slapped in the face with super-uber-duper hipness with a artificial heart.

Bre

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 13:26:54 -0600

Hey, I said I liked it. Never said I hated it. The actors ARE wonderful - they made the dialogue work. I'd watch this movie again, and probably again after that. I just don't think it's, you know, the BEST MOVIE EVER. I'm right there with you re: Paul Dano. That kid will break your heart. In a good way.

oh steph

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 12:56:03 -0600

Jeez, you people hate this movie for exactly what I loved about it. It is unapologetically aiming for quirky. And I don't care if "quirky" is synonymous with deperately grasping for "indie-cred" straws, as long as it makes me laugh and keeps me entertained. I love this movie for the same reason I love all other absurd indie comedies, for the fact that you know that people don't actually act/talk like this (I mean, all of the dialogue between the mom and the dad is completely unbelievable and yet utterly charming) and for the fact that these characters are somewhat approachable and identifiable. And if writers keep making movies like this one and little miss sunshine, pole vaulting wonderful actors like Paul Dano into totally unhip, un-navel gazing epics like There Will Be Blood, then please, let them spew their blogger guts all over the screen. I guess I am just too optimistically naive to hate preciousness. I also really like kittens and babies.

debimama

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 19:10:59 -0600

My pleasure. There just wasn't anything redeeming about this flick for me. Way too masturbatory. But themo pretty much said what needed to be said. Sorry for the unintentional multiple posts.

smack

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:07:33 -0600

I just want to say that I love you guys. Esp. because everyone and their dog talks like this is some amazing movie, when it's EXACTLY themo's review. Like, spot on, man.

Bre

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 17:42:12 -0600

Yeah, notice I didn't say it deserves a Golden Globe or something. I feel about this movie the way I felt about Little Miss Sunshine: great cast, some heartfelt/funny moments, overall not a bad flick. But it shouldn't be winning any awards. And debimama, thanks for chiming in. Opinions truly are like a**holes - everybody's got one.

themo

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:49:20 -0600

Waaay to precious for its own good, including the music. The affected 16 year-old talking like the coolest kid in history was just too overwrought. Sounded like the script was written by a blogger in her 30s trying to rewrite her own past as being the coolest kid in the history of hipdom. Bateman was good. Totally Lance Armstrong of a movie, read: overrated. Happy to see you writing some more, bre. Top 3 most overrated of 2007

debimama

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:32:53 -0600

Even this tempered review overrates this crap-bag of a movie.

debimama

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:32:32 -0600

Even this tempered review overrates this crap-bag of a movie.

debimama

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:22:30 -0600

I thought it sucked.