Juno

Let's do this the old-fashion way,split it up into goods and not-so-goods.

Me-Likeys.

+It's seldom we get a film with three-dimensional characters while doing it so with so much honesty-I love how conflicted and real they are,none come clean and straight-cut like your typical cinema chess pieces.

+The acting here is top-notch.Everyone's giving their absolute best,though two invariably stand out-Ellen Page (who was equally-if not more-terrific in Hard Candy),but the bigger surprise is Jennifer Garner, who has finally ceased taking up plain tit-flaunting roles to display her impressive dramatic breadth.Oh,and Michael Cera's pretty amazing too although not given too many words-there's often a hilarious moment where he's just smiling sheepishly,and it's so cute how nervous he gets around Juno,whose nonchalant indifference makes the whole thing even cuter.

+The way some truths handled so delicately,and how you get to know the characters more intimately as a result-like how married couple Jason Bateman & Jen Garner quietly and slowly drift apart-and you get all these signs the script offers subtly and lets us observe and understand,as opposed to being spoon-fed.There's a scene where they're choosing the paint color for the baby's room-it's a small scene but you can sense the relationship crumbling,none actually listening to the other but not bothered to argue.

Me-No-Likeys.

-The way music is used-sometimes the drama's reduced to a mushy music video,that the film occasionally winds up dealing with some very mature themes in a very kiddish,overly simple manner.

-The scenes of Ellen Page with Jason Bateman,how they supposedly bond over a shared taste in uber-violent film and old-time music-it was just so jarring.It feels like such a forced plot element and most of the time it sounds like they have no idea what they're talking about.

-Following from the last point,the film does feel like it's trying too damn hard sometimes.For instance,there's this scene where Juno and her bestie's conversing over lunchtime at school-they're not seated at a normal lunch table,instead they're at this stage-like place with trophies where others pass by,as if to say "Look how odd and offbeat we are,having casually witty conversations in places normal people usually don't!".Same goes for the final scene where they're playing guitar on the porch.And also how some minor characters who only appear once-like the pharmacist and the clinic receptionist-are made eccentric,when it just seems a tad unnecessary and done merely to appear hip and quirky.I think people who end up disliking this film or deem it overrated might use this as a main reason.

Final Say

+For the record,I'm not a big fan of Reitman's last film,Thank You For Smoking-it was full of vacuous pseudo-smart talk,the characters too slick and very impersonal-Juno instead boasts characters who are irresistibly charming,compellingly human and not nearly as cold.It's one of those films you might not like at first,but it'll eventually grow on you and soon sweep you off your feet.And as I said before (did I?Let's just play along),I only pointed out my main thoughts-I'm sure you'll find plenty of reasons to love this very sweet and funny film,there's just a huge amount of talent and heart in it.

+Interesting,Potentially Motivating Trivia-you might've read about it elsewhere,that Juno screenwriter Diablo Cody's a former stripper.Here's a link to an LA Times article on the matter,and her MySpace.