Go Caroll!

Rating: 10/10 (15 February 2008)

One of my favourite lines in the film delivered with great aplomb by Elle Page. I guess she is the main reason for how much i like this film. She delivers her lines with such conviction and charisma i cannot help but smile every time i remember whole scenes from the film. Her ability to look confident at one moment and then vulnerable the next is disarming making it impossible not to fall in love with her character. The movie creates it's own parallel universe where parents are understanding and supporting without the usual drama involved in situations like the one portrayed, where parents are relaxed and don't take their anxieties out on their children. The dialogue is quick and witty and refreshing as far as I am concerned with perfectly delivered jokes. Of course it's not realistic but who cares? it works very well within the frame of the film. Tarantino's dialogues are not realistic but everybody enjoys them because they are delivered by gangsters and larger than life characters which most people never meet so it's easier to suspend disbelief. The fact that the characters in Juno are just "normal teens" doesn't prevent me from enjoying their clever and innovative dialogue. Not all films have to resemble reality, and i think it would be very boring if they did anyway.
The entire cast puts on a great performance and i especially appreciated seeing Michael Cera and Jason Bateman doing what they do best, playing "embarassing quiet". The soundtrack as first seems completely removed from the story but slowly as you relax and allow yourself to immerse further into the story it makes a perfect fit. Definitely one of the best soundtracks i have heard in a long time.
There are moments of unexpected tenderness in the film which don't bring on tears but a deeper softer feeling of happiness at having witnessed them.
I'm going to go on limb and say that my response to this film has been the strongest to any films this year so i would make it the film of the year just for its fearlessness in being a little transparent sometimes.