OK but lacks drama or bite

Rating: 6/10 (11 August 2008)

How "Juno" became a cultural phenomenon is more interesting than the film itself. A mildly amusing and mildly dramatic film it miraculously made many critics lose their minds. The movies faults come down largely to the screenplay. To put it bluntly everybody speaks too much and too "wittily" (the "wittily" is attempted rather than achieved much of the time). Their is little rhythm to the dialogue. The film improves somewhat after a truly dire opening scene in a pharmacists where the banter between Juno and the always unfunny Rainn Wilson is embarrassing in the extreme. The opening exemplifies the faults of the film though - the script is simply not as clever as it thinks it is. What saves the film are the performances. Ellen Page is fine in the main role. JK Simmons and Allison Janney (both exceptional character actors) have little to do as over-nice parents but do it very well. Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman though provide whatever emotional pull the film has, Bateman in particular got nowhere near the praise he deserved. Michael Cera turns in another of his patented George Michael performances - it's all very well but it is impossible to imagine him and Juno having sex which rather negates the point of the movie. A tepid indie soundtrack adds to the underwhelming niceness of the project. Like "Knocked Up" this is diverting enough, if you get through the opening you will likely enjoy it. The film does not stay in the mind though and it's main achievement is to make unwanted pregnancy "nice".