the.[ED]ition

Every single review of Juno seems to describe the movie using the same two-syllable word: quirky. Therefore, I will attempt to write an entire review of the movie without using that word…except for in the sentence that preceded this one. I’m not the world’s most talented writer and I don’t own a thesaurus so this is going to be a little difficult. Wish me luck.

I’ve been waiting a long time to watch this movie but unfortunately, not too many people I know were particularly interested despite the monumental buzz surrounding the movie and the positive reviews. However, I did finally get to see it this week.

The movie opens with Ellen Page chugging some Sunny Delight before flashing back to an awkward but sweet “love scene”, which is even more awkwardly truncated by Juno yelling “Shut your freakin’ gob!” at a small dog. This scene sets the tone for the movie perfectly as much of it is similar.

By now, I’m sure you know the basis of the plot. Juno is apparently a bit bored and decides that having sex might pass the time. The unlikely Romeo is Paulie Bleaker, who is Michael Cera in basically the same role as he’s played in Arrested Development and Superbad except this time he’s wearing yellow short-shorts and a matching headband. Not going to complain though as he’s perfected this by now.

Juno McGruff is a one-liner in the form of a small high-school girl and it is impossible not to like her character. Her banter is absurdly witty and she delivers with such charisma. Heck, I admire the fact that she’s able to say half the things she does with an almost entirely straight face. She plays guitar, drives a beat up old van and has a hamburger phone. She’s the sort of girl that can say something like “pork sword” without the slightest flinch.

However, like every character in the film, Juno is much more complex than the way she appears on the surface. Because of her sharp wit, we often forget Juno is just a 16-year old girl and so finding her in her moments of weakness and vulnerability are slightly surprising. Ellen Page is absolutely perfect in her role and her performance is amazing. Everything about the way she captures the character from the slight slouch to the small roll of her eyes makes Juno so much more alive.

I cannot stress enough how great this film is. I could go into more detail about the film’s actual plot but I don’t want to spoil even a second. Please do yourself a favor and see this movie. After watching the trailer, I came in with some expectations of how certain characters would be and I found myself almost entirely wrong. The intricacy of each of the major characters is staggering and I must say, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman are all up to the challenge of supporting the film’s star in what must be Page’s breakout role. Other than Page, it doesn’t challenge any of the actors with unprecedented territory (such as Rainn Wilson in a cameo that’s basically Dwight from The Office) but it takes each person’s familiar role to another level.

That just might be the most surprising thing about the film…that it is devoid of dead weight. There are no wasted moments in the 96 minute runtime. The plot’s pacing is perfect and the wisecracks will keep you laughing no matter how many times you see it. The indie soundtrack matches so well with the movie’s attitude and nothing is lost in the attention to detail. The script and cinematography match so well.

Of every movie I’ve seen since I started this blog, this is the best. There is so such thing as a perfect movie but I struggle to find any flaws anywhere. It is a crime against humanity if you don’t watch it. If you haven’t seen it, don’t waste your time with some of the mediocre movies in the box office. Go see this sweet, genuine, smart, funny, quirky movie.

…wait. Dammit.

You can thank me later.

Verdict: 10.0 out of 10

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my full feed RSS

del.icio.us Digg Reddit Netscape StumbleUpon

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 17th, 2008 at 11:41 pm and is filed under Entertainment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.