A Showcase for Cody but overtly so.

Rating: 6/10 (28 March 2009)

I watched this film after its spectacular commercial success and its recognition at the Academy Awards. The film follows the life of 16-year old Juno who has just discovered that she is pregnant with her best friend Bleeker. Juno is a quirky, off-beat and almost surreal storyline, it develops, and this was probably the intention, on an artificial plane.
Juno, is the most mature 16-year old I'd imagine you will ever come across. Juno's use of words run across a scale where a dictionary would be a handy, to the usual colloquialisms of youth. Ellen Page plays Juno very well but it really is not a 16-year old she is enacting, it is a maturer person. It is hard to really except that such a 16 year-old and her family would be so calm and considerate on the discovery of the pregnancy.
The screenplay, written by Cody, has a good quality and shows her potential. However, with the artificial plot comes scenes, moments which seem to be there to showcase the talents of Cody. The film just doesn't flow at times and is setup to deliver lines which do not seem to be embedded in logic.
Off tangent but nonetheless something I must mention are the musical interludes, overtures which I found to be ill advised. In Juno, it plays way too much music to be seen as considered pieces, and is rather overly done and over-cooked.
Juno is almost fairytale like and although I can accept it is not meant to be based on 'real life' I am a little disgruntled that it seems to incorporate too many 'one-liners' and implausible dialogue . Juno does show Cody's talent, potential and self-assurance but it has a sense of self-indulgence. I must mention Michael Cera (Bleeker) whose performance I very much enjoyed.