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JUNO |
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B+ |
Juno,
much like the city in Alaska, is cold, barren, and unforgivable. Its
vast surplus of baby seals and salmon creates a breeding ground for
man-eating grizzly bears, and its lucky inhabitants receive a yearly
check just for living there. Okay so maybe it isn’t like the
city, but it is a very good movie. I’m hesitant to even categorize
it as a comedy though, since there were nary a time when I actually
found myself laughing. Comedic in nature, yes, but I think “dramedy”
more accurately defines it.
It may not be the funniest movie you’ve seen, but where
this film shines is in its witty dialogue, its likeable characters,
and overall great directing. Each character, no matter what
their role was, always seemed likable. Even during Jason Bateman’s
transformation from friendly and supportive to just this side
of creepy, he was still fun to watch. Jennifer Garner, who I
must say am not a fan of, did an excellent job in just the opposite
direction. My only beef with the characters really were with
Juno and Paulie. Juno, while definitely an entertaining young
woman, was far too witty. She always had a smart-ass answer
for everything that made her seem invulnerable to any kind of
social awkwardness. Paulie was played more or less perfectly,
except that he never seemed worried or anxious about impregnating
a woman at such a young age. I half expected him to have a complete
nervous breakdown and skip town.
Aside from the mounds of teenie-boppers crowding the theater, shouting
obnoxious comments throughout half the movie, I would say I thoroughly
enjoyed the experience of watching this film. Rather than walking
out of the theater with a sore stomach, I left feeling good. If you
liked Little Miss Sunshine, you’ll love Juno. Definitely worth
at least one watch. |
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B |
Saw this in the theater with a packed audience. Being a Michael Cera fan
I jumped to the conclusion that this would be a comedy. The most I
could afford were a few chuckles every now and then, but I did enjoy
how well the story seemed to flow. All actors fit well in their roles
but the only one to stand out was Ellen Page. She reminded me in a
way of Natalie Portman’s character from Garden State. If it
were a movie starring only her…I would still like it. Happy
to see this movie in the theater I do wish it was at a matinee price.
A good movie but not memorable.
Side Note: Look for director Jason Reitman as a youngster in Ghostbuster’s
II and Kindergarten Cop.
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