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A VERY young-looking Ellen Page tackles teenage pregnancy like a "cautionary whale" with white war paint on her rosy cheeks in "Juno", a Jason Reitman film which uses a gratuitous amount of snappy, artsy and often bluntly "exposing" dialogue and puts a somewhat youthful and comical spin on the matter not unlike another pregnancy film("Knocked Up") which has an even more unflattering title.
The dialogue is SO verbiose that--as Page and her very young face put it--Juno is dealing with things much bigger than her maturity level. [It's one of those artsy film quirks I hate--when characters speak so "thickly" and rapidly that they are just spewing lines instead of actually TALKING like everyday people.] Though Ellen Page does a decent job in her role, I do not give her special acclaim because the role is nothing extraordinary(not when it goes against common, believeable reality). Much of the film, other than the quirky and sometimes harsh humor, is in fact by the book. There isn't much unexpected here(except the end result/decision)which is what makes the film more of a PSA for teen pregnancy(and technically pro-life), something they could use in high school(if not grade school considering the young age of some mothers these days) to show kids the optimistic options of an "oops" reality. [Which is not necessarily a bad thing.] The only thing worse than the dialogue is the soundtrack(which they played quite loudly throughout).
The story is of a quite typical teen pregnancy with two not-so-typical, VERY young-looking(though posing as sixteen year-old juniors in high school) "parents". Juno(Page), a slightly less jaded version of Janeane Garofalo with rosy cheeks and lips on a porcelain face, makes the daring and questionable(in others' eyes) play for her friend Paulie's(Michael Cera) virginity which takes them from budding romantic band mates to torn teen riddles of emotion(even though they act very sarcastic and/or aloof through much of the film). After facing the facts--with the "help" of a funny smartmouth drug store clerk played by Rainn Wilson of "The Office"--she goes through all the "motions" with snappy commentary til meeting a couple eager to adopt(Mark and Vanessa, Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) through a discount classified ad newspaper. Bateman plays a mellow and restrained father figure who "strikes a chord" with Juno as a better man and friend than she could imagine for herself, a daughter of divorced parents. Garner is a nervous perfectionist of a wannabe mother who is as restless as she is prepared. Things get a bit muddled as realities unearth themselves from wishful thinking. A questionable(!) outcome presents itself with red flags already announced by Juno's current step-mother(Allison Janey). Her faithful though grumbling father(played by J.K. Simmons who is better known as sharp-tongued newspaper editor J. Jonah Jameson from the "Spider-Man" movies) is in the background for modest support. But, in the end, we get an equally puzzling though refreshingly(like an idealistic load of off one's back) cheery conclusion as if to say "Cheer up. It'll be okay."
On a perhaps bad acting note, Michael Cera(Paulie Bleeker) comes off once more(after seeing him in TV's "Arrested Development" and the movie "Superbad") as a one note wonder. He never strays from character. He is ALWAYS the scrawny track runner bumbling and fumbling his way on screen as if hoping to keep that goofy cuteness(that I guess is supposed to charm young girls) into his thirties. I just get more and more frustrated with him even if he fits the tight little role. Pairing him in a film with his TV dad(Bateman) only makes it more apparent.
There were also two cinematic glitches or quirks that caught my eye. In the scene when Juno and Paulie discuss getting their band back together, Page has what appears to be a rather rosy bump on her left forehead(camera right). It just appeared strange to me. Second, when she is talking with Bateman's character in his basement(I think it was when they discuss the prom) in the second half, her "pregnancy boobs" seemed deflated and then reappeared later at school.
What I initially liked about the film was the sketchy artistry blended with photography in the openning(which was used minutely throughout in seasonal text but sadly absent from the ending). I've seen similar work in other teen-focussed films and similar devotion to creative talents in "Superbad"(the 70s openning, not the horrific doodles at the end). I also liked the mythology reference as well as the pregnant superheroine comic book. [Jem cartoon fans of the 80s might like the little fact that Bateman's guitar is named Kimber.] The end shot ran on a bit long. It could have been cut short turning the characters back into doodles followed with a hand ready to erase or write in something before ultimately drawing a typical heart around the picture. Decent acting by all though most actors were "themselves." Garner, however, struck be by surprise as an icy(nerves) yet disciplined wannabe mother figure. Of all the cast, she stood out as the most defined. Ellen Page(bearing an odd resemblance to co-star Garner) may be a rising little starlet(literally), as others pitch her, but I have not seen enough(range) of her yet. Nonetheless, she plays a loveable smartmouth with some of the firey spark and gall of a young Hepburn. So, though not a stellar, ground-breaking piece, "Juno" comes out glimmering as a (small)"mother" of a PSA with biting wit and moments that will make you blow blue slushie out your nose.
Though not much of a date movie at one and a half(plus) hours long(and definitely not one for little ones), pack some Tic Tacs(I swore they said cherry flavor, but the site says orange) if the mood strikes you. [Young couples might be "stimulated" to be intimate by the artsy display of "romance".] I give "Juno" a humble two and a half stars out of four. With a little less blaring artsy music, a little less snappy thickness in dialogue and an ending plot line that's(that COULD have been) grittier and more sensible, this could have easily scored three and a half or better. Add a sprig of character depth and a pinch of salt in the wounds for a richer flavor and a better recipe. Nonetheless, an overall watchable insight with optimistic possibilities. [Spoiler][Personally, I think Juno could have kept the baby or given it to another couple. Giving it to Garner(Vanessa) after the fear of another divorced coupling and the crossing of boundaries with Bateman's character made little or no sense(as did hooking back up with Paulie claiming it was "true love"). Love was NOT apparent. Just two average "kids" with hormones buzzing and just waiting to repeat their mistake.]
--brainstormer,
freelance movie critic and participant in the Thoughts.com blogging experience
www.foxsearchlight.com/juno/
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Posted by brainstormer on 2008-01-17 22:17:47 | Rating: | Views: 431
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I actually found the dialogue to be quite witty and very in tune with at least how I felt in high school.
** I too felt the absence of the sketches at the end of the movie. Would've been nice, but hey what can you do? **
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Posted by kikicutey
on 2008-01-22 09:36:37
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The soundtrack reminded me a little of Napoleon Dynamite only with more lyrics. . .and yes, it did blare loudly throughout. I did like this movie, probably because I teach school at a jr. high and my students are just slightly younger than this bunch. Cera plays a great dork and he might make the transformation to more adult roles in a few years. Time will tell.
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Posted by cwzywbt
on 2008-01-27 17:56:23
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