now thats satire.

However, I did enjoy J.K. Simmons’ performance.

Still, props to Page and Jenn Garner who surprsingly shines here as well.

Will watch again probably on cable, but that will be it.

3.5/5 stars.

Ah that sucks you felt that way. I find it one of the least offensive movies I’ve seen all year. The last movie I found really hitting me with screenplay was BloodRayne. But if there was one thing I didn’t like about the movie was it Michael Cera’s character. He didn’t have much of a voice at all, especially about his views on the pregnancy and it was all filled with Juno’s narration to try and fix it.

…but this… I felt like I was being slapped in the face with the screenplay the whole time. While I can find an emotional reality in those other films, even with their flaws, I dont see it here. I find Juno extremely shallow and playing every scene for a lark. I’m not asking that I suffer through their pain and problems, but… I mean jeez… Juno pretty much acts no different with the baby than without. The bump on her stomach is more a prop than all the little things people harp on Wes Anderson for these days. I’ll take a zillion cases of Cate Blanchetts little shoes in the Life Aquatic over the hamburger phone. I think the emperor has no clothes here.

I wish the characters here had their individual voice. But they dont, they pretty much all have Diablo Cody’s. Does Tarantino and Smith fall into this trap sometimes? Sure, but they tend to fit into the worlds they create, and in Tarantinos case theres so much more brought to the table, and at least he’s not writing teenagers like that. Thank You For Smoking as well, is a decent movie, but after seeing Juno and thinking back, I really don’t know what people see in him as a director. He doesnt seem to bring anything more to the table than whoever directed other indie comedys like Everythying is Illuminated or Thumbsucker.

Anyways David Edelstein had an interesting rant against it too:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17001360

For me, I started off thinking it was going to be annoying the whole way through and it quickly won me over. I’m not sure exactly what it was. Reitman’s direction probably had something to do with it.

Regarding Ellen Page, I started off finding her too detached to care about, but about halfway through the film that all changed. I didn’t find her particularly hilarious… there were 3 or 4 really funny laugh out loud moments for me, and I don’t think any of them came from her.

As for the soundtrack, I loved it. I’ve been listening to it all week. I can see how it’s not particularly believable for her character, but I do think the songs were appropriate to the subject and atmosphere of the film. Then again, I really dug Garden State and its soundtrack as well, which was admittedly quite forced at times.

If this movie were a stand up comedian it would be Dane Cook. It’s desperate for it to be loved and doesnt give a shit about character and heart – it just wants to be king shit at the cool table.

And again I go back to the soundtrack. God damn I hated it so much, and its even out of place considering Juno (if you actually believe the script) wouldn’t even listen to that sort of music. What is that soundtrack doing service to? The script? No. The characters? No. The atmosphere of every other “indie” comedy these days? Bingo.

1.5/4