Juno

Juno certainly marks an impressive step forward for director Jason Reitman, as the movie effectively blends comedy and drama far more effectively than his debut effort, 2005’s Thank You For Smoking. The film stars Ellen Page as the title character, a spunky 16-year-old who finds herself pregnant after a single encounter with Michael Cera’s Paulie – much to the chagrin of her parents (played by J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney). Though she briefly considers an abortion, Juno decides to give the baby up for adoption and, after placing an ad in the paper, eventually settles on a well-to-do couple from the suburbs (Jennifer Garner’s Vanessa and Jason Bateman’s Mark). Reitman, working from Diablo Cody’s screenplay, initially infuses Juno with an overtly quirky and almost distractingly deadpan sensibility that often threatens to negate its positive attributes. There does come a point, however, at which the filmmaker drops such shenanigans in favor of a far more organic vibe, and it’s consequently fairly surprising to note just how involving and downright compelling Juno eventually becomes. Page’s phenomenal performance certainly plays a significant role in the film’s success, though credit must be given to supporting players Simmons, Cera, and particularly Bateman. And while the movie does feature a blatantly sentimental third act, Juno‘s myriad of crowd-pleasing and heartwarming elements ensure that it ultimately remains as likeable an effort as one might’ve expected.

*** out of ****