At first, I was a bit worried that I was in a film where, once again, the hype was not going to live up to the reality. It started with lots (and I mean lots) of deep and meaningful music, and yet another lead character with attitude, who knew everything and had swallowed a dictionary and been raised on a steady diet of popular culture references.
After five minutes though, I realised my initial assessment was wrong. Incredibly wrong. Wonderfully wrong. Because Juno turned out to be absolutely brilliant.
Juno, the lead character, had attitude (yes), had dialogue from the coffee-powered, 40-something writers of the Gilmore Girls (oh, yes); but, refreshingly, she did not know it all. In fact, everyone in the film was incredibly human. Not perfect, not perfect losers, but quirky in their own way, with their own problems and their own solutions. Juno herself was given a reality check on several occasions; and the other characters all had believable reactions, within the realms of believability and how their characters were established. Jason Bateman and, in particular, Jennifer Garner, playing the adoptive couple, were particular standouts – no hysteria or overwrought emotion, but well-played, believable reactions in fairly stressful and uncertain circumstances.
Actually, the entire main cast is incredible, without a weak link amongst them. Juno (played by Ellen MacGuff) is amazing, though Allison Janney and J.K. Simmons as her parents steal the show whenever they are in a scene. The characters were quirky, though the actors played them as just normal people doing normal things, which made them all the easier to sympathise with. Much kudos to the script, as it is amazing (though I seem to recall Juno is Jupiter’s wife, not Zeus’s; but that is me being picky; and I will now never use the word “junk” in vain). However, for me, the music was copious and mostly tolerable. So not perfect, but very, very good.
Verdict: The test came back and it was positive: 95% certainty.
4 comments:
I thought Juno's dialogue shoulda been scaled back a bit. I felt beaten about the face with the screenwriterliness of it. Not much - she can still be quirky and brainy and good with words - but enough that it was a bit more believable.
I adored everything else about the film. It's a solid 8/10 for me. Loved it.
I've heard nothing but amazing things about this movie, and after watching the Oscars tonight I think I definitely need to take this one in! (And for the record, I'm pretty sure the actress who plays Juno is Ellen Page, but that's a minor detail!)
I think you are right, Lauren. The character's name was Juno McGuff. The judge makes mistakes - we have proof!
Oh dear - I have presented erroneous evidence I fear, as pointed out to me by some keen investigative counsel. But I will stand by my verdict nonetheless! :)
R
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