BOTTOM
LINE:
A smart,
light-hearted and realistic drama about teen pregnancy that has
razor-sharp wit and heart.
THE GOOD:
I wasn't expecting much going
in to this film other than that it could have either been a lame
teen flick or a silly comedy. I was quite surprised to discover
however that 'Juno' is an intelligent film with strong wit, great
humour and strong themes. A lot of the success of the film can be
held directly accountable to the actress playing the title character,
Ellen Page, who commands the screen right from the very first shot
with her satirical, humorous and genuine personality. Juno finds
out she's pregnant after having a 'session' with her best friend
Bleeker. After surviving the moment of telling her father and step-mother,
she proceeds to search for would be adoptive parents and find them
in Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman. The plan is for Juno to have
the baby and to hand him/her over to the adoptive parents and forget
the whole thing ever happened. Of course, not all goes according
to plan and Juno comes to learn a lot of things about life and relationships.
Although this sums up the plot of the film and it may appear dry
at a glance, the quality of this film lies in its character moments
and motivations which are surprisingly realistic but laced with
a lot of satirical, intelligent humour. All of the characters turn
out to be surprises, as does the story, not following in any obvious
direction but once it gets there, it feels quite satisfying and
real. The acting in the film is the standout; aside from Page we
get a great turn from JK Simmons as her down to Earth father and
strong supportive performances from Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman.
Overall, this is a film that will make you laugh but still pull
you in to the heart of the story and its themes.
