JUNO

Director: Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking)
Starring: Ellen Page, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, Michael Cera

And once again with the "I've got no time to review stuff". So here are a few more quickies, starting with Juno.

Getting the press as 2007's indy, award-season crowd-pleaser, Juno lives up to the hype. It's certainly typical of other recent indy, award-season crowd-pleasers in its oddball characters and sunny disposition (see Little Miss Sunshine), but despite this it still feels like a wholly realized, and quite unique work. It's recommended not only for its laughs, but also for it's excellent, if unusual (and hard to pin down) script, acting, and direction.

The story follows an unwed teenage mother-to-be, her boyfriend (the nicest guy in the world), her remarkably composed parents, and the yuppie couple who plan to adopt the baby. On one hand it's very easy to make an argument that this film is morally unfit as it rather blithely glosses over the very real problems associated with people having babies who aren't ready to have babies. In fact, not once did I get a glimmer of just how messed up the adopted kid is likely to be. Is it *assured* that the kid will be messed up? Nope. But every adoptee I've ever met was swimming in a sea of serious emotional issues.

Despite this, the film is still very much worth seeing. There is an unusual, slightly sad tone well underneath the chipper facade that all the characters present, and this is what saves the film. In fact, this is what makes the film quite good. There are serious issues beneath all of the jokes, and the movie knows it. Well done.

Standouts: A fun, quirky script. Fine acting and direction.
Blowouts: Wow, considering the fact this little girl may have seriously messed up a future babies life, she seems awfully chipper ...

Grade: A-