Great Performances

Rating: Null/10 (28 February 2008)

Juno (2007)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Delightful comedy about a 16-year-old girl named Juno (Ellen Page) who finds out she's pregnant and decides to give the baby to a happy couple (Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman). This is a touching little film that certainly has its heart in the right place and I don't think there was a single second where there wasn't a smile on my face. The film has a terrific screenplay that allows for plenty of laughs as well as some nice and tender moments. Page gives an excellent performance as the teenage who gets into a situation over her head. We follow her character for nine months and we see her go through all sorts of changes and Page perfectly captures all of them. She's got a great comic timing but she also handles the dramatic scenes very well. Garner also turns in a very good performance but the real shock is Jason Bateman who turns in a wonderful performance. It's good to see him doing something different and I guess this performance proves that an actor can do much more if they are offered something different. J.K. Simmons also deserves a mention as Juno's father. I think some of the over the top humor keeps this from being a great film but it's certainly an original film considering how many pregnant movies are out there.