Juno [2007] - DVD (Ellen Page, Michael Cera, J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney, Jennifer Garner - Dir: Jason Reitman)

Somewhere between the sharp satire of Election and the rich human comedy of You Can Count On Me lies Juno, a sardonic but ultimately compassionate story of a pregnant teenage girl who wants to give her baby up for adoption. Social misfit Juno (Ellen Page, Hard Candy, X-Men: The Last Stand) protects herself with a caustic wit, but when she gets pregnant by her friend Paulie (Michael Cera, Superbad), Juno finds herself unwilling to terminate the pregnancy. When she chooses a couple who place a classified ad looking to adopt, Juno gets drawn further into their lives than she anticipated.

But Juno is much more than its plot; the stylised dialogue (by screenwriter Diablo Cody) seems forced at first, but soon creates a richly textured world, greatly aided by superb performances by Page, Cera, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman as the prospective parents, and J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man) and Allison Janney as Juno's father and stepmother. Director Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking) deftly keeps the movie from slipping into easy, shallow sarcasm or foundering in sentimentality. The result is smarter and funnier than you might expect from the subject matter, and warmer and more touching than you might expect from the cocky attitude. Page's performance is deceptively simple; she never asks the audience to love her, yet she effortlessly carries a movie in which she's in almost every scene. That's star power. -- Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com

Customer Reviews of Juno [2007]

Joe Pineapples
Bristol
29th November 2008

Hilarious - no. Engaging - yes.
This is by no means a laugh-out-loud joke-fest, it's much more subtle and character driven, this makes it very enjoyable to watch and I suspect I could watch this one a few times.

The reason why this one works, for me, is because all of the characters (arguably with the exception of Mark played by Jason Bateman) have redeeming characteristics. Also, they all seem quite real and therefore believable.

My only criticism is that maybe Juno could have kept the baby or at least explored that possibility. She was clearly mature enough - even if she was supposed to be 16 - and obviously had good family support (my favourite character was her Step Mum).

Also, the music was great and really added value to the film - I've since gone out and bought a copy.

R. M. Van Kralingen
Amsterdam, Netherlands
26th November 2008

Must See
Juno falls into a strange category if films that are so original and touching, there is no real name for it.

I compare it to Donnie Darko, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotlight Mind and Amelie, all must-see-movies. Although they are completely different films, they have one thing in common: you will love all the main characters in a way you wouldn't in a 'normal' movie. Just like in Juno.

There are simply not enough movies like this.

lovecomedy
Tokyo
22nd November 2008

Surprisingly good
I lined up to see this because I am a fan of Michael Cera and everything else in the cinema looked terrible, but wasn't expecting too much.

As soon as the movie started I knew we were in for a treat, sharp witty humour, and a great cast.

I can highly recommend this to anyone who hasn't seen it

colin j herd
Edinburgh
21st November 2008

give me an I give me a N give me a D give me an I give me an E
If someone recommends a film I generally go and see it, or buy it on dvd. But if loads of people tell me about a film before i've been to see it or bought it I often don't bother. So that explains why I have only just got around to watching this. My mum leant it me (thanks, mum).

It is fun, sassy, and the characters are complex. It resists simplistic moral judgements. The acting is great, if you like quirkyness better than realism. In the same vein as other indie-mega-hits like miranda july's 'me and you and everyone we know' but i think less cloyingly and studiedly cuckoo than that movie.

Really enjoyable. Borrow it off your mum.

haunted
IRELAND
5th November 2008

Fast Talking but Heart Warming
I enjoyed this film a lot.
The story is relatively simple. A schoolgirl gets pregnant and decides to put the baby up for adoption.
She happens to be a wisecracking smartass, perhaps enough to be really annoying. In fact she seems such a know it all you wonder how she got herself into this trouble at all! However the film makes it clear however that Juno, depsite trying to be uber mature, is still just a girl.

Have no doubt, this is a "feelgood" film.
Nearly all the characters are basically decent people and the plot is tied up perhaps too neatly. The development of Juno's relationship with her step mother would nearly bring a tear to your eye alone.
The different storylines in the film are combined well together by the director, such as Juno's relationships with the prospective adoptive parents and with the father of the baby.

Great performances all round really make the film. Page, Cera, Garner,Bateman, Janney and Simmons are all excellent.
For a few laughs and maybe a few tears watch this film.