Overrated but enjoyable anyway

Rating: 7/10 (27 May 2008)

Taking a different tone entirely to the other recent accidental pregnancy movie Knocked Up, Juno comes from the viewpoint of a 16-year-old girl. It's a comedy, but is played with the thoughtfulness that such a subject matter probably deserves. The cast is excellent, and the script is generally well-paced. Also, Rietman's direction is near faultless.
Sadly, the film is let down somewhat by possibly the most annoying protagonist in the history of cinema. Ellen Page is clearly a capable actress, but Juno is a ridiculous caricature of a world- weary teenager, full of pessimism and 'witty' one-liners, but with no particular redeeming qualities. Even by the end of the film, when you're supposed to sympathise with her, I still felt like she deserved a punch in the face.
Of course, if you can stomach this kind of character and the odd atrocious bit of dialogue, it's a decent movie with some great performances and an interesting soundtrack.