Yes, that is a baby bump discreetly implanted in the photo. Here's Juno's description: Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, an offbeat young woman makes an unusual decision regarding her unborn child.
I first saw the previews for this movie back in the summer, in front of Superbad. Not a coincidence that the star of that movie would also figure prominently in this one. I immediately put this down on my must see list. Sure the previews told me that this was my kind of funny, but the real draw for me: Ellen Page.
This 20 year old Canadian born actress has done a lot of t.v. that we in the states haven't seen, so she's actually been around awhile. I first saw her a couple of years ago in Hard Candy, a very dark, frightening drama. One that you could actually put alongside Robin Williams' stalker film, One Hour Photo. If you haven't seen Hard Candy, and you have children between 10 and 16 years old, rent this movie. Right away. I had a feeling that Ms. Page would do things after seeing that film, and after watching Juno, I'm convinced that she is the next Christina Ricci. Making good movies that mean something.
Back to our snarky comedy. Sure Juno is about a 16 year old girl who gets pregnant on her first sexual foray, but I'll be damned if this movie doesn't do it with a lot of heart and a lot of laughter. The writing on this movie is fantastic. Not just the plot, the dialogue is first rate. Quick, smart, jabbing, funny. Joss Whedon fans will absolutely appreciate this film. The one knock is that as I watched this film I was reminded that there are no high schoolers anywhere who actually think on this high of a level. At least, I hope not, because if that's true, I am doomed as a father of two girls.
As we follow Juno on her journey to self-discovery, we watch as she struggles with the decisions that we've seen time and time again. Do you keep the child? If not, is abortion an option, or adoption? The thing is, every one of these moments has a quirky twist to it that defines this movie. When faced with a serious subject, it's impossible not to laugh or gape as every scene is infused with poignant moments.
The other thing we see is a supporting cast that absolutely sells this movie. There may be other actors and actresses that could fill these rolls, but we don't need them. The ones we are given are perfect for this movie and I highlight Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons, and Jason Bateman in particular.
Janney and Simmons play the surprised parents in this film and they are perfect for what they are asked to do in this film. Generally, when you see Simmons in a film he is yelling at the top of his lungs or barking orders to someone. This time around you get a quiet man, trying to be supportive, but a bit heart-broken. He is the heart of the movie here, and it's definitely a good thing. Allison Janney is one of those actresses that you know, but don't readily think of. She makes the actors around her better and every award season she makes it to the podium. In this movie she provides the "Hell, Yeah!" moments.
Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman play the "perfect" couple that may be potential adopters. These two eschew the perfect suburban couple with their cookie cutter house in its' cookie cutter neighborhood. As I said earlier, Bateman is great. He really is good and you feel his thoughts even though he's not saying what is on his mind. He does get a scene that unwittingly provides a creepy feeling. Now, I've read an interview with the woman who wrote this film and she categorically denies that it was intended that way, but believe me when I say that this scene didn't come across as a heart to heart as it was supposed to play out. So take that with you when you see the movie. As for Jennifer Garner, she does her job. I don't have anything bad to say about her. The problem is that I have never warmed up to her. I've never seen her in anything that made me say she's fantastic. I can't pinpoint anything, and I feel bad writing this, but the fact is, she just grates on me. She does help provide a terrific scene, I just wish I didn't feel so blah about her.
Olivia Thirlby plays the best friend, whom you would just want to reach out and slap if you weren't laughing every time she opened her mouth. She's annoyingly funny and the she adds to the film with her just being in it. I look forward to the movie Jack and Diane, where once again, Thirlby and Page will be on screen together.
Finally, Michael Cera. The underused Michael Cera in this film. What he is given is great. He has absolutely mastered the role of intelligent, slightly naive, quiet guys. I just hope he's not pigeon-holed in Hollywood already, but if he is, I'll still watch.
One last note. Jason Reitman directed this film brilliantly, and if you missed his last film, Thank You For Smoking, then add it to your rental list and and pick it up with Hard Candy today.
If you haven't figured it out, I loved this movie. I'm giving it 5 orange tic-tacs out of 5 orange tic-tacs. I believe that's only the second full rating since I started the actual rating system, though I have loved quite a few of my earlier reviewed films. This is one of those films that is only going to play in select theaters, so if you're fortunate to live near one, see the movie. Don't worry though, you won't miss anything by waiting for dvd, just don't forget to add it to your list.
Elijah
No comments:
Post a Comment