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Juno - Chris’ Review
Jason Reitman’s Thank You For Smoking was a treasure that got lost in the muddled mess of films between 2005 and 2006. This is certainly not the case with his follow up gem Juno.
The film has been doing well and I saw it last night to a nearly sold out theater, and rightfully so. Well made, thoughtful and very funny, this film takes an unflinching look at teen pregnancy while not being preachy. While it is certainly a Pro-life film it doesn’t isolate itself as so.
While the subject matter sets up the laughs it is the superb cast that pulls them off. Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, Allison Janey, and J.K. Simmons work so well together that their comic timing is impeccable. The only problem that I have with witty dialouge based movies is that teenagers don’t normally talk like this and it can take you out of the moment if you start to think about too much(think Clerks). However, because of the believability of Ellen Page as an actress, this issue seems to dissolve away.
Aside from Page the other highlight of the film is Jason Bateman. A terrific performance that is understated yet uncomfortably creepy throughout. The star of the very missed Arrested Development has talent both as a comedic presence and a dramatic actor. It is good to see him getting quality work and the attention he deserves for it.
While many will compare this film with Little Miss Sunshine, last year’s “little indie-comedy that could,” Juno overshadows that effort by so much that it is not fair to compare the two cinematically. Only in awards potential can they be compared. Juno has as good of a chance, if not better, to receive an Academy Award nod for Best Picture. Ellen Page could get a Best Actress nomination for her role as Juno. And I would like to see Jason Bateman recognised for his work as the reluctant father to be.
Jason Reitman seems to be on a role here. He is willing to deal with “taboo” subjects and turn them into a joke in order for us to see the seriousness of the issue, and he is doing a wonderful job at it. A film like Juno deserves to succeed and I am glad that it has.
Last 5 posts by Chris
- Rose is Rose is a Man! - November 14th, 2008
- Faith in Fringe - November 14th, 2008
- Sounding Presidential - November 3rd, 2008
- First Look at Lost's 5th Season - October 25th, 2008
- Becoming Fanatical - October 23rd, 2008
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2 Responses to “Juno - Chris’ Review”
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I was also very impressed by how well the movie veered into unexpected territory in a natural way; the whole storyline between Juno and Bateman’s character surprised me.
The whole cast really deserves accolades for transforming what might have been an irritating screenplay and making it something much more.
I agree 100%. This was a very smart film.