Rating of
3.5/4
Smart and, more importantly, honest
newmans_own - wrote on 12/12/07
The film’s strength lies in its performances, and most importantly Page’s portrayal of the titular character. Juno is sarcastic but not unlikable; she fully accepts her faults and mistakes, and the viewer cannot help but do the same. She is a modern teen in every way; ready to dismiss the words of her elders with a disinterested roll of the eyes. Yet she has a maturity that develops along with the baby. As Juno gains a more worldly wise view of those around her, she becomes all the more compelling.
Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner especially come as a surprise. As the adoptive parents-to-be, both delve into previously untapped area in their ranges. While Bateman still relies on his charming, staring-in-disbelief comedic timing, his more dramatic scenes display an uncertainty and reluctance that resonates far past the words he speaks. Garner is a revelation here. The dramatic work she’s done on ALIAS only hints at the multilayered performance she gives her. Her desperation that shows even through her strict reticence is often heartbreaking; the flaws in her character are apparent, yet her strive for the end goal makes all her fussing filled with fright instead of superficiality.
Cody’s smart and snappy script successfully balances comedy and drama. At first insistent on teen slang (almost annoyingly so), the true measure of Cody’s accomplishment becomes apparent later in the film, when the drama rings truer than most comedies of its type. Yet it never becomes bogged down in the dramatics; by the time it turns away from total comedy, the viewer is already too invested in the characters to be lost.
***1/2/****
Full review at http://newmanscorner.blogspot.com
