JUNO (2007)
Juno is one of those movies that was hyped to death by the media, upon release, and therefor could never have lived up to that hype when one finally caught up with it. That being said, Juno is a charming, funny, poignant story of a teenage girl (billed as Ellen Page at that time) who suddenly finds herself pregnant and the father/boyfriend (Michael Cera) not being much help. Now the teenage girl must figure out what is right for her and her unborn child, while she forms a relationship with a Yuppie couple (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) potentially interested in adopting her offspring.
An excellent cast, also including J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney as Juno’s parents, is supported by a good script from Diablo Cody and a quirky, but not too quirky, film style from director Jason Reitman. It can be funny, sentimental and sweet, but also, refreshingly, doesn’t stray too far from the more realistic side of it’s portrayed situation. Not to say it’s perfect, it’s not. Juno’s smart-ass wisecracking starts to grow tiresome about halfway through, but luckily, the film changes tone somewhat, as the birth draws near, and we see less of her acerbic wit. The slow pace both hinders and serves the movie, but as it’s not an action film, that’s not a major problem. No, not worthy of all the hype, but a good movie without a doubt. On a side note…does anyone else feel Jason Bateman is one of the most underrated actors around?
-MonsterZero NJ
MonsterZero NJ's Movie Madhouse 