Juno is about the 16 year old title character (Ellen Page) who ends up in one of the nightmare scenarios teenage girls wake up screaming about: pregnancy. After a short contemplation with abortion she decides to have the child and let a couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) adopt the child when it's born. Juno has to juggle the problems of pregnancy (especially teen age pregnancy) with those of a young girl making her way through life in her own individual way while she grows feelings for the father of the baby Bleeker (Michael Cera).
It's hard to pin Juno down. You could call it a comedy and there are a ton of funny moments in the film, but it still feels like more than that. It's more of a coming of age tale. The rebellious teen when her 9 month trek started isn't quite the same as the rebellious teen that walks away from the maternity ward of the local hospital. There's a change, it's just funny along the way.
All the raves about Ellen Page are well deserved as she breathes the girl to life. Juno is your typical girl that doesn't fall into a clic- she's her own kind of person, which isn't a bad thing at all. You can feel that teenage disdain in her performance, even as she criticizes some of the would-be adoptive parents classified ads. Michael Cera plays his typical role as a low key, mild mannered kid that doesn't seem to get angry at anything, even when he is angry. Probably the best supporting actor in the film is J.K. Simmons playing Juno's father. He plays it like your typical clueless movie dad, yet he isn't. Every minute Simmons is one screen is wonderful. A perfect casting choice.
Directed by Jason Reitman, Juno represents the post-teeny bopper sets version of Knocked Up. It's a film about consequences and actions that shows how when you encounter an experience you make easy on yourself could end up affecting the rest of your life.
No comments:
Post a Comment