Review: Juno (Jason Reitman/Diablo Cody)
January 20, 2008 3
If you’re in the USA you’ve probably seen Michael Cera around quite a bit lately. He’s been in TV series Arrested Development, blockbuster film Superbad and now appears in the rising hit film Juno. If you’re like me though, from the moment you saw him sipping from his cereal bowl held to an inch of his chin in Superbad, you were hooked to the modern-yet-retro nerdy-cool vibe that Cera pulls off so perfectly. A styling revived in the Juno trailer as Juno (Ellen Page) comments, “you’re like the coolest person and you don’t even have to try,” and Bleaker (Cera) replies “I try really hard actually.” However, if you haven’t seen the film yet, you could be confused by the trailer which plays up Juno as a love story of two teenagers dealing with pregnancy, and while Michael Cera’s involvement is certainly commendable, he is far from being the lead character for this film. As the title would suggest, the film is about Juno and the other characters come in and out as Juno’s involvement with them wavers. Because she decides early in the film that Bleaker will not be heavily involved in the pregnancy, he is a somewhat absent figure for much of the film. This is not necessarily a fault as the character of Juno is certainly strong enough to maintain interest throughout the film.
There is a lot to say about her, yet without quoting the film it’s almost impossible to sum up her Degrassi style demeanour. She has a sick sense of humour but still remains harmless with her quips. She does not glorify teen pregnancy, nor does she condemn it. She deals with everything as it has to be dealt with; piece by piece. She is at once warm and insensitive. She is sad and tough. She is all bites and kisses.
Rating: 7/10.
The Wrap-Up:
To cut a long story short, see it.
If you liked You, Me and Everyone We Know see it twice. It’s a strange comparison to make but there’s a certain romantic link in the writing.
P.S. Buy the soundtrack even if you don’t see it.
