Juno
2007 may go down as the year of the taser and the pregnancy comedy. This past summer's Knocked Up set a fairly high bar as comedies go for Juno. That said, Juno is still a very good movie. More quirky teen drama than straight comedy, Juno is almost too odd and clever for its own good at times, but it stays true enough to reality to remain a genuine and entertaining film. Much of this is due to its fantastic cast, especially Ellen Page and Michael Cera.
My main criticism of Juno would be that the screenplay seems to try too hard to be unique instead of relying on the strengths inherent in the plot. For example, Juno herself occasionally does some voice-over or throws out a line which is quirky for the sake of being quirky, not to stay true to the character. The soundtrack for this movie is too Wes Anderson for me. The cutesy songs at the beginning and end are enough; the 5+ that are in this movie just get distracting after a while.
This movie deals with unplanned pregnancy in a more dramatic way than Knocked Up. Where Knocked Up went for the laugh out loud moments, Juno prefers more subtle or awkward moments to produce many of its chuckles. The direction from Jason Reitman is very good and shows that Thank You For Smoking was not a fluke. He demonstrates an excellent ability to portray absurdity without it feeling ridiculous. Despite any faults, Juno is smarter and funnier than most movies and definitely worth a viewing. 4/5
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