Juno

Last week I went to a bloggers' preview screening of Juno, which goes on general release in the USA this Friday and hits the UK in February. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect of a film that was being compared to Little Miss Sunshine, Napoleon Dynamite, The Breakfast Club and Knocked Up. The story of a teenager whose unexpected pregnancy leads to a plan to give her baby to a childless yuppie couple, Juno is essentially a tale of one child growing inside another and the impact that this has on those around her.

I have to be honest and say that for the first half hour or so, I was fairly sceptical of the entire film. As the apparently "whip-smart" Juno came out with endless ironic wisecracks, I found myself doubting that teens really speak like that anywhere in the world - even in Minnesota. It was clearly necessary for the storyline to establish Juno as being independent of thought and action, but the dialogue seemed rather heavy-handed and initially she came across more as a writer's show-piece than as a believable character.

However, after half an hour or so, things started to settle down. We were introduced to more of the people in her life and with greater interaction came a fresh perspective. The potential danger of a strong central character dominating a series of cypher-like extras was thankfully avoided. Michael Cera played Juno's inseminator, Paulie Bleeker, with an understated hesitancy and humour, marking him out as an actor to watch. Olivia Thirlby as best friend Leah was a warm and believable foil for Juno's monologues.

Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman played the intended foster parents. Both characters teetered on the verge of cliché - she the anguished, hand-wringing career professional who Just Wants To Be A Mommy, he the frustrated musician with a collection of Sonic Youth albums and matching T-shirts - yet both remained credible due to the actors' skill. For my money, though, the best support came from JK Simmons as Juno's lovable, phlegmatic dad and from Allison Janney as her dry but fiery step-mother.

Director Jason Reitman notes in his statement for the film's press pack that "Juno is not a movie about teenage pregnancy as much as it is about the delicate balance of these relationships," which is a useful and concise summary of where the film's focus lies. The exploration of this web of interconnection and association is where the film really scores, mixing up characters with different needs and outlooks, serving up a realistic depiction of how they might relate to each other and of the effects of their interactions.

Central to the success of the film is Ellen Page's superb performance as Juno. After my initial - mainly script-based - misgivings, I warmed hugely to this character, who has lingered in my mind all week. Page plays Juno as a complex mix of child-like subverter of the adult world and old head on young shoulders. Passionate behind her laconic exterior, throughout the course of the film Juno learns that the best things in life are easily overlooked. It would be churlish to begrudge her the slightly schmaltzy happy ending.

With its killer soundtrack (Kimya Dawson, Astrud Gilberto, Velvet Underground, Belle & Sebastian, Cat Power) and pleasantly skewed, hyper-colourful cinematography, I found that the more I watched, the more I liked this film. By the end, my initial misgivings were long gone and I'd have to say that I enjoyed it very much indeed. It's not a perfect film by any standards and it wears its aspirations just a little too obviously on its sleeve, but nevertheless it's worth 92 minutes of your time and there is much to appreciate in it.

Further reading:

• IMDB: Juno
• Fox Searchlight: Official site
• Rotten Tomatoes: Juno
• London Daily Photo: Juno: The Movie
• Route 79: Watching Juno
• Annie Mole: Juno - Film Review and Blogger's Screening
• Sandrine Plasseraud: London Twitter/Blogger Film preview : Juno

Posted by Hg on Monday 10 December 2007 at 17:44.
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