I went to see Juno last night at the cinema. Initially i was very skeptical about this film because on first impressions it looked like an a-typical rom-com for the "kool kids", and having read a plot summery on IMDB it looked like that's what i had in store. I couldn't have been more wrong.
Whilst Juno did have the schmaltzy "first love" styling of a million other films aimed at the 14-25 age group there was no americanised high gloss to it. The fact that it forsook the sheen of Hollywood and headed down the "indie" film route instead (despite having some reasonably high profile and up-and-coming stars) reminded me more of films like Napoleon Dynamite and Chasing Amy.
The relationship between Juno (Page) and Paulie (Cera) had a charming awkwardness to it and left an underlying feeling of maturity belying their character's years. In fact, Ellen Page delivered a performance that highlights and expands upon the foundations she laid with her previous film, Hard Candy. Her line delivery is so dry and natural that it's instantly believable and the script writers provided her with some outstandingly witty material that recalled the often inappropriate and naive dialogue heard between teens and adults. Another charming facet to Page's performance was that despite her title role in the film her character was not the sole shining light and she held back on occasion to allow others to step forward. Her ego does not take up the screen, as is often the case with younger charismatic actors/actresses. As a result we get to see the acting talents of her co-stars as well.
Michael Cera doesn't have much screen-time until nearer the end but he is so ungainly and likable that you can't help but feel some empathy for his situation and it was like looking in a mirror and recalling how awkward i felt personally as a teenage boy. Jennifer Garner portrays her character well though she carries with her a "wooden" acting style that's been evident throughout her career, though it's maybe not as noticeable here as it is in Pearl Harbor and Elektra. Allison Janney and J.K Simmons both have interesting moments as Juno's oft put upon parents and they each deliver some poignant dialogue that helps the viewer not only identify with them but also with Juno. Even though she is very much a periphery character in the film Olivia Thirlby, as Leah, has some mood lightening moments, especially when Juno breaks the news of her pregnancy to her parents. Having said that it would be very easy for Thirlby to be typecast as "miscellaneous quirky friend" in similar teenage flicks which could sadly see her fade into obscurity as she outgrows that particular role (See Corey Feldman)
The character I most identified with was Jason Bateman's portrayal of Mark, one of the prospective adoptive parents for Juno's unborn child. His character as a put upon, trapped and stifled male in his early 30s clearly unready for his role as a parent and grasping to hold onto his younger self is both saddening and reassuring at the same time. Although he could come across, depending upon how you view his role in the film, as an unlikable person I found it hard not to feel sympathetic towards his character and ultimately couldn't bring myself to dislike him in the end.
Stylistically and visually Juno comes across as charmingly low budget but it certainly doesn't suffer from it. The rotoscoping at the start over the opening titles was cute and the recurring theme of runners throughout the film acted as an interesting metaphor that underpinned the whole film: running from your problems.
The music chosen for the film is perfect and the songs by anti-folk singer Kimya Dawson (and her band The Moldy Peaches) in particular are aptly chosen for the points in the film where they are used. The inclusion of bands like Sonic Youth, Belle and Sebastian and Cat Power on the soundtrack as incidental music smacks a bit of standard "indie" film fare but it's not unwanted or out of place within the film.
In all Juno is a smart film. Despite it's gloomy subject matter and the resulting effects of Teenage Pregnancy on it's characters i left the screening feeling happy and fulfilled. It's more than worth the ticket money and is definitely a worthwhile purchase on Blu Ray/DVD when it is released. Don't go in closed minded, allow Juno to entertain you and immerse you in her world. You won't regret it.
Buddy
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