Funny, Heartwarming and slightly absurd.
| Overall Grade: | A |
| Story: | A |
| Acting: | A+ |
| Direction: | B+ |
| Visuals: | A |
Juno is the story of a teenage pregnancy, where Ellen Page and Michael Cera play the 16-ish unconventional highschool sweethearts who become pregnant. Page plays the unbelieveably witty Juno, who is way too smart. But her lines are so funny and so deftly acted, you buy everything and roll on laughing. Cera plays Bleeker, an emotionally in-touch version of Napolean Dynomite, complete with that same nerdish sex-appeal but lacking the absurd SNL-skit oddball family life. JK Simmons, most famous for his roles on prime time dramas like Law & Order, plays the wise and also perfectly cast father.
I admit, I was dragged to this movie, but I ended up laughing my head off. It was probably too funny, actually, especially for people who might have to deal seriously with this topic. But the movie doesn't take itself too seriously, and the director here is smart enough to stay away from getting preachy about the issues. This will be a perennial standout movie on the rental market, and it has already raked in $100million in the US theatres. It has all quirkiness that links a film to our real world, oddball lives, while maintaining enough Hollywood to make it coexist in a realm of ideology that informs us of "how things ought to be". I know its considered trite to speak of morality and conscience these days, but this is a refreshing, if slightly unrealistic, story that helps us remember what our best intentions should be. And there is just enough "Cinderella" mixed in that you get that warm fuzzy feeling without having to throw up at the end.
Juno is a perfect "date" movie for any couple, with a likely cautionary repreave to any children under 13 due to language and sexual themes. It's PG-13 rating is well-placed, in my opinion.
Amazon Link: http://amzn.to/RZfiSH
Review by Kim Gentes