Saturday 16 February 2008

Juno Review

Juno can only be described as 'a gem of a film'. The kind of film that reminds you why you love films. The kind of film that makes my job so damn enjoyable. The kind of film that leaves you with a big stupid grin that returns to your face days later when you recollect a funny line. The kind of film that makes me gush embarrasingly in a way that I should probably reserve for the birth of my own child. Like I said 'a gem.'

Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) gets herself up the duff. Unluckily for Juno she is only 16 and not wanting to settle down to domestic bliss with her best friend and one time lover (thats all it takes kids!) Paulie Bleeker (played by the ever reliable Michael Cera). With the help of her incredibly supportive dad and stepmom, Juno decides to give the baby up for adoption to a nice wealthy couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman).

And here is where you'd think it would all go wrong. But, and this is the strange and wonderful thing about Juno, everything kinda goes to plan. Its Juno's journey that we follow and because she is still growing up we don't need things to happen to her, rather we need things to happen around her so that we can watch how she's going to deal with them. Another wonderful thing about this girl is that she is precocious, she is at times irritatingly knowing, in other words she is a real person. When she plays the Arrested Development boys off against each other we are still guessing at how its all gonna turn out because we can't guess the actions of someone whose changing. And this is where the drama comes in.

The supporting cast is all superb but special mention has to go to J.K. Simmons as the knowing but never telling father. As an added bonus, like it really needs it, it includes the kind of soundtrack that you could discover your new five favourite bands on. Juno is just a bloody lovely film that comes around all too briefly. Seek it out.

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