Juno

Juno (Jason Reitman, 2007)

***½
USA

A cutesy-quirky, aggressively self-satisfied then aggressively heartwarming indie elevated to the realm of the bearable and even genuinely affecting, mostly by an ensemble of exceedingly clever, committed actors. Ellen Page plays the caustic but inwardly fragile teen impregnated by a dork and deciding to donate her bundle to a yuppie couple with half-hidden issues.

There are blips - more, distorting oversights and misjudgments - both in the writing and direction: no one - and certainly not a 16-year-old - says things like "You're acting shockingly cavalier!"; no one's been put off abortion by 20 seconds' worth of clicking pens etc. The soundtrack is stuffed with lite-indie chick-rock, and several costuming and set design choices feel transported from a Wes Anderson movie onto a habitat that is unnatural to them.

But the quirks which are jarring to begin with are pushed to the background in the second act and appear to have faded entirely by the third. Most of what's implausible about the plotting is gotten out of the way early, so that the situations and conversations start feeling more and more organic.

Even in the earlier, sketchier sections however, Page demonstrates an uncanny gift for selling unspeakable dialogue as her own words and building from mostly snarky scraps a sensitive, human-like portrait of a scarred, guarded premature adult. And the supporting actors are wonderfully subdued.

Juno

Neat movie about a teen girl who becomes pregnant and looks for the right foster parents for her child…

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Recommendations: The Matrix , Fratello sole, sorella luna , The Visual Bible: The Gospel of John

There IS no spoon!

Last updated: 2010-03-13 07:15:11 by McDozer

Juno: Intellectual Abortion

LITTLE MISS PREGGERS is a putrid, pretentious, pubescent portion of baby pabulum. It is bland intellectual fare that is scripted with an undemanding diet of words.

Jason Reitman’s film hides behind Ellen Page’s quirky yet shallow dialogue delivered with the utmost zeal because it has nothing interesting to say, no insight into characters or conflict, and just plods along until the happy ending: Juno and Bleeker even make beautiful music together. This condescending and emotionally fallacious narrative is independent filmmaking at its worst: no substance and all style. The characters including Juno are archetypes representative of people but showing no true originality. They are phony and cardboard caricatures that play only a particular role in the story because we are never allowed to actually know them; we are just told about them. The dialogue is sometimes funny but more often just flat and insincere. The story never addresses any issue of substance and glamorizes teen pregnancy by minimizing the effects both physically and socially. It is legally necessary for the father's consent in any closed adoption so the nexus of the film is just not true.

Mark is the only character given a little definition but the writer sells him out as a complete jerk and gives the moral high ground to his fake stereotypical spouse. Awful. This is a movie that the Christian right wing should applaud and that should turn all intelligent viewers away from this derivative and god-fearing sermon. JUNO is the equivalent of an intellectual abortion and is non-viable entertainment. Final Grade: (F-)

Recommendations: The Birds, Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard, 1960), Funny Games

All reviews copyright Korova, Ltd. Visit Alex at his Home Theatre Blog, http://korovatheatrepresents.blogspot.com/

Juno

It begins with a look. Diablo Cody, the first-time screenwriter behind “Juno,” tries to convince the audience that it starts with a chair, but it really begins with a look. The camera fixates on a nervous and naked Paulie Bleaker (Michael Cera), so unsure of himself and the moment, but in the moment nonetheless. The camera then pans to Juno (Ellen Page) with her ever present air of self-confidence, but we can sense there’s something more to this girl than she’s letting on. And with one look at two completely different people, the movie begins to sweep us into the story, and ultimately, into a relationship with the characters that leaves us breathless when it all finally culminates into the happiest, and most satisfying, end of any other movie this year. The movie is a coming of age story that follows 16-year-old Juno MacGuff for the full term of her accidental pregnancy, brought about by a night of boredom with her best friend, Paulie. Even Juno’s father, Mac MacGuff (J.K. Simmons) is surprised that Bleaker “had it in him.” Juno explores the option of an abortion but is turned away after discovering that babies grow fingernails in the womb. Her stepmom, Bren (Allison Janney), is a “nail technician.” Realizing that she’s too young to raise a child, Juno and gal-pal Leah (Olivia Thirby) take to the Penny Saver to seek out an adoptive couple.
Having formulated a 16-year-old’s idea of a plan to handle a pregnancy, Juno reveals to her parents that she is pregnant. This scene reveals the only parents in cinematic history that don’t unleash a tidal wave of anger on their teenage daughter, but rather, a set of parents that every teenager wishes they had growing up. The realism is there, however. They are upset and disappointed, but they care. The realism probably ends with how quickly they recover from the shock and begin to trade quick quips regarding their initial hopes that Juno had developed a drug addiction.
I do appreciate the manner in which Diablo Cody presented Bren and Mac. Even if you didn’t have parents like them, you probably had friends that did. It’s refreshing to see someone avoid the all-too easy and all-too common “troubled teen vs. strict parents” theme.
Mac decides to go with Juno to meet the adoptive parents, Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and Mark (Jason Bateman) Loring, in a scene much better seen firsthand than read about secondhand. Mark and Vanessa are the stereotypical young, yuppie couple. Vanessa badly wants children, and Mark badly wants to be a rock star (a rebel in his own home), but has to settle for writing jingles. Vanessa is the exact opposite of Juno, but Mark hits a note with Juno when he discovers her love of slasher movies and Les Paul guitars. What quickly develops into a friendship, just as quickly dissolves when Mark tells Juno something she doesn’t want to hear (also better seen than read).
Vanessa and Juno, however, share an intimate moment in a mall in which Jennifer Garner shines. It’s a small moment in a film that stands on its comedic flare, but it’s the small moments that make this film. They are dotted throughout, and always, without exception, at the right time.
The direction of Jason Reitman had as much do with that as Diablo Cody did. There isn’t a single scene that doesn’t work or flow the way it should. The performances of everyone in the film keep it on the right side of cheesy, as well. Not many people can pull off a line like, “Honest to blog!” and get away with it. Not to mention, Ellen Page delivers a performance that may very well earn her an Oscar nomination.
But more than anything, for me, it’s about the looks. Every little moment, scratch that, every single scene, has something more brewing under the surface. Often you can’t tell it’s there amidst the rapid-fire dialogue, but you can feel it in the characters’ faces. Take, for instance, the closing scene.
Juno has gone from Autumn to Spring and has changed as much and as quickly as the passing seasons. She’s no longer the girl that didn’t “know what kind of girl” she was. She and Paulie are together, playing their guitars, and singing to each other. Jason Reitman puts us at the center of the scene and slowly pans out, reminding us that this is their moment, and it’s our turn to look at them. Finally together. Finally themselves. It ends with a look.
 
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 96 minutes
Starring: Ellen Page (Juno MacGuff); Michael Cera (Paulie Bleeker); Jennifer Garner (Vanessa Loring); Jason Bateman (Mark Loring); Allison Janney (Bren MacGuff); J.K. Simmons (Mac MacGuff)
Directed by: Jason Reitman; written by Diablo Cody; produced by Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, Mason Novick, and Russell Smith. A Fox Searchlight release.

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Juno

Man the Oscars this year must have had some really shitty movies to pick out from since this movie got nominated for Best Picture.



So Juno is kind of like the Little Miss Sunshine of the Oscars this year but the problem is it isn't a good as Little Miss Sunshine. It's about Juno



The director for this is Jason Reitman, the guy who did one of the funniest comedy in a long time, Thank You For Smoking. But in here, I mean the movie is still great and all but I don't get why there is such big buzz around this. I am a big fan of Reitman but I think that this wasn't the film he should have gotten his Best Director nomination over. It just wasn't Oscar material.



But what was really good in Juno were the actors. Ellen Page is totally awesome playing this funky wise-cracking pregnant teen. Juno is almost up there in terms of memorable sleeper characters like Napoleon Dynamite. I don't think she should have gotten nominated for it but it's still a great character. Jennifer Garner is really good as this keen mother-to-be who kind of reminds me of a more subdued Adrian Monk. Jason Bateman is fantastic. Allison Janney and J.K Simmons is great to and are hella funny together.



The only person I really hated here and the one that is getting me all confused on why they cast him is Michael Cera.This dude is by far the worst successful actor in Hollywood. I don't understand how this little wimp is getting so much work cause he practically plays every character the same. A nerdy wimp that has self-esteem issues and mumbles every single line. No.. that's not acting, that's totally Michael Cera. God that guy annoys me to death, seriously. And the funny thing is that in Juno, he is suppose to be playing a jock who's the coolest person Juno's ever met. Shit in my face will ya?



And this movie has some of the weirdest soundtrack I have ever heard. Not that it was a bad thing, but like throughout the movie I keep hearing a bunch of teenage kids singing in high pitch rants. And the weren't even singing real songs, they were more like... what crazy people in asylums would say. But the soundtrack still fits in with the whole mood of the film of being lighthearted. But I'll be damned if they ever make a soundtrack album with those songs.



The screenplay for the movie is really weird to. The character Juno is written in a way that she is mostly funny when she is doing this kind of stand up comedian style of narration to the audience. And we get this throughout the film, the movie stops just so that Juno's narration can be fit in there for a brief funny moment which might work for some stupid people but was really annoying for me. The I see who wrote this and I totally understand now, it's written by some ex-stripper named Diablo. Huh.. even the film's crew is weird. But Juno did have some genuinely funny moments and really heartwarming scenes to boot to.



So am I saying this film was really really bad? No.. for a comedy it's pretty decent with some great characters in there. But Best Picture? Eat my genitals Academy Awards.

RATING: 6/10

NicholasC

The Movie "Juno" and Personal Bittersweet Memories

I do not want to spoil this movie for anyone.  Given the fact that Juno was released in 2008, I doubt I will.  Still, someone might read this review who has not yet seen the movie.  I myself just saw the movie in early November 2009 so it’s possible.
 
Thus I warn of possible spoilers.
 
Characters in the movie below:
<I><blockquote> Ellen Page ...  Juno MacGuff
Michael Cera ...  Paulie Bleeker
Jennifer Garner ...  Vanessa Loring
Jason Bateman ...  Mark Loring
Allison Janney ...  Brenda 'Bren' MacGuff
J.K. Simmons ...  Mac MacGuff
Olivia Thirlby ...  Leah
Eileen Pedde ...  Gerta Rauss
Rainn Wilson ...  Rollo
Daniel Clark ...  Steve Rendazo
Darla Vandenbossche ...  Bleeker's Mom</blockquote></I>
 
I remember when this movie was released.  Being a contributor on many conservative web sites I was surprised to hear that this movie was so well received by those with a conservative idealogy.  I wondered why.
 
The reason, it would seem, was that Juno chose to give birth to her baby rather than have it aborted.  Conservative idealogy would decree that a child is created at conception and to terminate the pregnancy is, essentially, murder.
 
Further, Juno was hailed as a “feelgood” movie, a film that would leave you with the proverbial smile on your face and song in your heart.
 
Well yes.
 
It also left me a bit confused about some things but let’s assert right here that this was a very, very enjoyable movie, miles above others, a cinematic prize, if not a masterpiece.
 
The movie left me thinking and pondering some things but many would argue that this is the mark of a fine film.
 
Let’s get out of the way here that my daughter too had a baby as a very young girl.  She did not have an abortion, not because of a firm idealogy against same but more because by the time I discovered the pregnancy it was too late for that procedure, late term abortions notwithstanding.  Although I’m not at all sure she would have had an abortion but let’s be clear that while in this day and age I, and she I must suppose now having a daughter of her own, have a firm opinion on the matter of murdering the unborm, at the time we perhaps had no firm principles on the matter as we’d never been faced with it.  Also, at the time, the slippery slope murder of murdering infants moments before birth was not widely practiced, or known, and mothers-to-be wishing to avert, (and proudly bragging about it!), multiple pregnancies by killing one of several gestating babies that life not be one big Walmart shopping trip, was rare.
 
She did have a very “modern” adoption, some now 16 years ago.  In fact, we “interviewed” perspective parents who had placed an ad in a local newspaper seeking young women just like my daughter who were looking to place their babies into a good home for adoption.  It was all a bit disconcerting and understand it was not the sort of thing anyone has a whole lot of experience with once in the midst of dealing with it all. 
 
In fact, my daughter might well be reading this review right now as she is one of the two to three people every day who read this Blog so let me tell her right here in public that she should watch this movie.  She will absolutely love it.
 
Daughter and I were inundated with folks wanting desperately to adopt her baby.  At the time I was so unaware of how it all worked that I’d phoned up five such folks who were looking to adopt a baby and that was a mistake.
 
Those people wanted a newborn baby to adopt so darn bad that I had to face an even more difficult decision, which was breaking four couples’ hearts.  For only one would be chosen by my daughter to adopt her baby.  If had a chance to do it over again I’d have been much more judicious in setting up meetings for this sort of thing but thank God I didn’t have to do it again.
 
This leads me into my bafflement as to why Juno went ahead and let the woman adopt her baby even though the couple originally set to adopt her baby would be getting a divorce.
 
I recall there being lots of loving couples who desperately wanted a healthy newborn, there was no need to have a single mother adopt the baby.  Then Juno’s parents only interviewed one couple at the time, unlike me who thought human babies were like puppies, that the infant would take some time to unload, forgive my grammatical ungraciousness, but that’s what I thought the experience would be like before I got underway.
 
I had potential adoptors of daughter’s baby phoning me at work, begging me to consider them, telling me all that they could offer my soon-to-be-born biological grandchild.  The decision of which of the five couples to allow to adopt her baby was, of course, my daughter’s.  The heart wrenching task of informing those not chosen was on me.  I had people break down in desperate sobs when I did my best to tell those rejected that they were fine people but that daughter had chosen someone else.  I’ll never forget that most difficult thing I ever had to do in my entire life.
 
You can believe that if one of those couples had notified daughter that they would be divorcing she’d have chosen another couple right away.  Children need two parents.  We had such a wealth of potential parents for daughter’s baby that there was certainly no need to give the infant, a boy as it would turn out, to a single mother.
 
In fact, one “couple” wanting to adopt daughter’s baby was a homosexual couple.  The fellow told me that he and his partner had a wealth of joy, happiness and yes, money, to offer a child.  He even offered us money if we would give the child to them.  It was rejected right from the start.  The man tearfully begging for a chance to raise the child seemed sincere but daughter was choosing a home for her baby and she would never have chosen to put her child in a home with two fathers and no mother.  Or, to make my point more forcefully, a home with only one parent, a choice that the movie’s name character, Juno, willingly made.
 
Obviously my story is nothing like Juno’s.  Juno was involved with just one couple and if she’d spoken to other potential adoptive parents it wasn’t indicated in the film.  I just know at the time I was faced with it all, daughter only had one month to go before she’d be giving birth.  I thought finding adoptive parents would be difficult and again, how are people expected to handle such a very tough task what with having no experience at all?  I wonder how Juno’s parents, in the movie it was her father and stepmother while in my daughter’s time it was her stepfather and her mother, or possibly Juno herself, found the adoptive parents because that wasn’t clear either.
 
Still Juno chose to give her baby to the woman even though the husband was taking a hike.  The potential adoptive mother of Juno’s baby was a fine woman, that was made clear in the film.  The potential adoptive father was presented as immature, that was also made clear, and the fellow was bailing out on a commitment he had made so it’s not like any great loss there. Again, I’d never have done such a thing and again, not that it was my choice to make.
 
After daughter watches the movie I’ll ask her if she agrees. 
 
Whatever the case, this is a great movie.  Some would say, and so shall I, that it a movie that will likely only appeal to the females in our midst.  It’s a movie that has great characters and does a wonderful job of showing the interaction of the characters from Juno’s father, to Juno’s boyfriend, to Juno’s stepmother.
 
It was heartwarming, not at all maudlin, and it had a happy, believable ending.
 
I cannot recommend this movie enough.

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Juno

Imagine Sixteen Candles if Molly Ringwald had picked Duckie over Blaine. Imagine a movie where the doofus gets the girl… because the girl wants the doofus. That’s Juno. And that ain’t the half of it. Junocontains the best role for a woman in an American movie for twenty years. If I were an actress over 21…if I were any actress but Ellen Page, I’d be livid. Because Juno MacGuff is a female Holden Caulfield, only spunkier, and pregnant. It’s so insanely rare that women get to play anything but hookers and killers in American movies, to have a character who: a) gets the best lines, b) makes mistakes, c) fixes her mistakes, and d) has a vagina – is amazing.

Juno tells a story that’s been told before, often, but Juno tells it perfectly. A teenage girl gets pregnant. So far, so Knocked Up. If Judd Apatow were writing this… hell, if any guy was writing this, this movie would focus on the guy. Or worse, the girl would be who “the girl” always is: the doormat. But Juno craps on movies like Knocked Up. For starters, there is no “girl” part in Juno; there is Juno’s part, which is whole. Juno MacGuff is by turns: sarcastic, naïve, selfless, helpless, wrong-headed and noble. She is the girl who wants the doofus, the girl who gets turned-on by scrawny legs and fastidiousness. She’s Mrs. Robinson, age 16.

Ellen Page must have shit a brick when she read the script. This is a star-making part, and then some. To think that most actresses have to get by on “I just wanna know if he’s OKAYYYYY!” (like Reese Witherspoon in Rendition). To have a role that doesn’t depend on Making a Scene. This isn’t a role that anyone could play. Juno cries once, but the point of her crying isn’t her crying, it’s what she does next. And Page makes you believe in Juno’s choices. She can change her mind without Acting. There isn’t a single thing she says or does that you don’t believe. Juno could have been a smart-ass in other hands, or worse – a saint. But Page has a way with sarcasm that takes away its artifice. Her Juno isn’t a point-scorer, she’s a kind heart made hip.

As Juno’s boyfriend, Michael Cera plays the same guy he did inSuperbad, only luckier. He’s the geek who gets the girl, and for once the girl has more going for her than tits. Cera looks like he knows he’s hit the jackpot (thankfully) and he does “crushed” like his ribcage had just collapsed. He’s tall for a puppy-dog, but it doesn’t lend him a discordant stature. He’s a guy who seems to be comfortable in the background, but he steps up when he needs to, to let Juno know she’s been “mean”.

As Juno’s parents, J.K. Simmons and Alison Janney are the kind of parents you’d want Juno (scratch that… want yourself) to have. They know who their daughter is, and what a 16-year-old knows and doesn’t know. They don’t burden Juno with their wisdom when it isn’t asked for, but they’re there for her when the world startles the poor kid. The great virtue of Juno is that it doesn’t say anyone is smarter than anyone else in figuring out the world. It doesn’t even say becoming a parent makes you grow up. It’s just that 50 is a lot more grown-up than 16, no matter how precocious Juno is.

Instant classics make my palms sweat. As a general rule, “instant classic” denotes Knocked Up (what was it with critics and that movie?) If you saw Knocked Up, or watched Superbad recently and thought – ’sokay; Juno is for you. Because you’re tired of disappointment. AndJuno doesn’t disappoint. It is every bit as good as if Hal Ashby had made it. Ellen Page is every bit as good as Reese and Julia ain’t. Junohas heart, but it isn’t sickly. It has laughs, but they’re never crude. You will will Bleeker and Juno to be together as much as any couple you ever rooted for. And you’ll shed a tear, too, you big sap. This is a movie that generations will grow to love.

JUNO (2007)

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.

THE BAD: Despite having a short 96 minute run time, the film did seem a little long in parts. Not sure if there was anything that could have been done in this regard given that there didn't appear to be any fat in the story, but perhaps the film could have been tightened up a little further. The only other distraction was the titles that appear during the film announcing the different seasons: "Autumn", "Winter", "Spring", "Summer". They are meant to tie in with the opening titles which were gimmicky on their own (but tolerable), but they were a little annoying. This last point is really just a preference of mine and doesn't detract too much from the wit, humour and strong themes.

RATING: 8/10

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Todd Murphy <br />
http://www.allaboutmovies.net

DVD Review: Juno

I finally saw a movie devoid of clichés, at least from my point of view. It is fresh, quirky and immensely entertaining. The plot, the dialogue and the soundtrack jelled together so well that it is perfect. I do not understand some of the teen speak, but it is hilarious just the same.

Ellen Page played the title role to a tee. She gave an awesome performance, and single-handedly carried the whole film. For those not familiar with her, she played Kitty Pryde in the movie X-Men: The Last Stand. J.K. Simmons and Jennifer Garner provided ample depth to the story by their supporting roles. (Trivia alert: both starred in a Marvel superheroes movie, Spider Man and Elektra respectively).

Ellen’s character Juno is not the smartest people around, but I feel she is real. Because of her innocence (or quirkiness), she usually delivers amusing quips about pregnancy. The movie is littered with memorable quotable quotes, some shameful, some inspiring, but always funny.

I have the fondest respect for the writer Diablo Cody for coming up with a very unconventional film; I cannot wait for next project.

This project grossed over $200 million, even with only a budget of $6.5 million and a month of shooting. This just proves that a smartly written film can compete with multi-million, special effects films in terms of ticket sales. Moviegoers can notice and appreciate a quality indie film.

There are haters out there, but honest to blog, I found this movie so cool. You should like totally check out this movie, like for real for real.
 

Last updated: 2009-08-07 09:50:41 by edthehead