"Juno"

Rating: 10/10 (7 January 2008)

I love "Juno." It's the kind of movie you want to take home with you.
That kind of magic is generated through several factors, the first being its actors. Ellen Page is a superstar; this film confirms it. She lives and breathes Juno so effortlessly it doesn't seem like acting. Ditto Michael Cera, whose beautifully-timed sense of humor is matched only by his beautifully-rendered sense of human truth. Jason Bateman is given a richer character than he's ever been allowed to play...and he's brilliant as usual. Jennifer Garner has never been better. Alison Janney and J.K. Simmons tackle the richest roles they've filled in years. This film is an acting showcase of the highest order.
"Juno" is also an example of film-making perfection. For this perfection, two people are responsible. The first is director Jason Reitman, whose previous film was "Thank You for Smoking." If that film was an assured debut, then "Juno" is a fulfillment of destiny. Every moment of every scene in "Juno" flows with the assurance of a director who understands the material as if he wrote it word-for-word (he didn't). There is never a false step...not visually, not emotionally.
The second person responsible for "Juno" is its writer--it's mother, if you will--Diablo Cody. A more staggering screen writing debut has not taken place in recent memory. Cody writes in a style and a tone uniquely her own--Hollywood has a new, vibrant, brilliant voice. Her words breathe sweet, wonderful life to the world of "Juno," and she understands the beats of human emotion and the complexities of character in a way that is equal parts completely sensible and utterly surprising. "Juno," in its offbeat, deliberately verbose, stubbornly renegade way, is the most beautifully and delicately written film of the year. And after Ellen Page, Diablo Cody is the film's second breakout superstar.
I want to hug this movie.
(Junoverse ID#2428)