Film Review - Juno

Rating: 8/10 (28 March 2008)

If Jason Reitman's Thank You For Smoking was a showroom Mercedes, all sleek corporate chic and glistening cool, then Juno is the BMX you've had since highschool: perhaps unable to shoulder the expectations you've unfairly placed upon it, but crafted, nonetheless, with a genuine skill and in possession of an undeniable charm.
When sixteen-year-old Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) falls pregnant following a formative sexual dalliance with best-bud Bleeker (Michael Cera), the precocious teen makes an atypical decision regarding the fate of her womb's newest occupant. Determined to both have the child and find for it a loving home, Juno strikes up a relationship with her unborn's soon-to-be adoptive parents, only to discover teenage pregnancy isn't all its knocked up to be.
Spearheaded by a revelatory performance from its fiery young lead, Juno is the most satisfying comedy of the season. Where Reitman used the slick veneer of Thank You For Smoking to cut an incisive dissection of glib yuppie smarm, here he uses Juno's hyper-pop hipness and scruffy appeal to extol the virtues of family and teenage camaraderie. If Diablo Cody's retro-cool screenplay at first seems to have repopulated the suburban geek la mode neverwhere of Napoleon Dynamite from a feminine slant, rest assured, as Juno is revealed its own being entirely once we better settle into proceedings. Cody's script in fact proves one of the film's greatest strengths, its simple narrative defying expectations at most every turn and developing well-realised relationships between memorable characters. Married with Reitman's directorial snazziness, it makes for a rich, surprising experience, equally fulfilling as it is entertaining.
Delivering here on the promise displayed in David Slade's technically fantastic but emotionally bogus Hard Candy, Page shows herself well on the way to becoming a household name; that Oscar nomination comes not without credence. We look forward to the day when the age of her characters runs in step with her own, as the lightning-bright teen with the whiplash retorts bag initially proves mildly distracting. But Page wins us over, making defunct any "Kids don't talk like that!" beef, with a performance both hilarious and tender. Her rapidfire deadpanning and persistent good-humour make Juno a hero to root for, and, thanks to her subtle command of emotional complexity, one who remains ever more compelling for her numerous flaws.
Following Superbad, Michael Cera confirms he could play awkwardly pleasant for the rest of his life and still manage to keep it engaging, whilst J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney lend wisdom and warmth as Juno's father and pet-loving stepmum. Janney's flagrant berating of a standoffish ultrasound nurse provides the film one of its genuine laugh-out-loud moments, and the pair's private reaction to the news of Juno's pregnancy is one of its quiet highpoints. Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner each rise to the occasion as Juno's adoptive-parents-of-choice for the bun in her oven; Garner in particular has never been better than here.
Indeed, all about Juno is so intrinsically good that the film's biggest problem in fact proves external. What should have been an excellent little film to discover and cherish has been so forward-pushed that its slender frame buckles beneath the weight of bloated expectations on which it never anticipated having to deliver.
A small and wholly impressive work sporting excellent performances and a pitch-perfect Kimya Dawson-led soundtrack, Juno shines thanks to a clever screenplay and a confident director. Forget the praise and publicity and enjoy the film on its own terms - as the smart little comedy with the big, pulsing heart.