A Movie I Had To See

When I saw JUNO described as in the vein of LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, only better, I had to see it. If you didn't love LMS, if you want your movies grandiose and dramatic or packed with action and plot twists, then don't read on. JUNO is not the movie for you.

Juno is a movie about Juno MacGuff, a 16yo schoolgirl dealing with pregnancy. I guess you might describe it as a YA romance, although it's more about Juno's journey than the romance. Kids are only 16 after all. So Juno (the girl, played awesomely by Ellen Page) is quite the character. If you read regencies you've probably seen a heroine or two described as "an original". Well, that's Juno in a nutshell. She's funny, sharp, real, marches to her own tune, but she's not all teenage angst and defiance (which is irritating enough in real life without having to watch on screen.)

So, the movie. It's real, without being dark and confronting; funny, without being slapstick or grossout; and has an originality that makes it tough to compare with anything else. I just realised it was directed by Jason Reitman who wrote and directed the last movie I enthused about to everyone I saw for weeks afterward. Thank You For Smoking. Both are jostling for a position on my list of all-time favourites.

Juno is up for Oscars in 4 categories -- Best Picture, Director, Actress and Screenplay -- and has won a swag of critics/reveiwers awards. (That's just so you know it's not just me who found it engaging.) All the cast is excellent. Jennifer Garner and Allison Janney are great in supporting roles, but it's Ellen Page who really owns the screen. There's this emotional climax scene where you see a close-up of her face and the camera focuses on this fine quiver of a nerve in her face -- talk about show don't tell!

If you like some whimsy in your reality, a touch of quirk in your characters (without crossing the line into absurdity), subtle humour and clever dialogue, and a story built around character and quality acting, then do check this one out. It's not a movie that begs to be watched on the big screen (like, say, Atonement where the cinematography demands BIG.) Definitely one that could be enjoyed just as much on DVD.

Labels: movies