Saw it again tonight and I still loved it, duh. It's a great movie.

Loved it. Pretty much loved everything about it. Don't have any complaints really. I actually wish I had a few issues, but I really don't. Everything was great.

Grade: A+

After reading through the reviews, I think it's a plus for this film that the fickle bunch here, for the most part, say that the film is "good, not great". I figured this was more of a love it or hate it flick.

Although some seem to take pride in saying "IT SUCKS!" to sound cool and against-the-flow. Not that it's impossible to hate the film. It feels like that kind of movie when I watch it. But sometimes people convince themselves that they hate it, rather than say "Oh, well, it's not that bad."

But that makes it sound like I'm saying it's impossible to hate the movie, even after saying it twice now that I think it is very possible to hate the movie (thrice!).

For the record, if I did have one minor complaint, it's that the first scene between Juno and Leah (on the phone) was a bit much. But I didn't really mind it much. Other than that, I don't recall where the dialogue went too far over the unrealistic line.

This film is about as deep as the Aral Sea.

You're as deep as the Aral Sea!

38 metres!!.....................Hmmmm must apply at that casting call for the monster in Cloverfield 2 then.

I've now seen it three times.

Never again shall I let your high brow chin lord over me!

Gulli, I could not love Juno more. It is, to quote my good friend Phillip, stupendous.

I had a couple problems with the film.

Firstly, I felt the unusual lingo really overburdened some lines that could have been effectively poignant and touching. This is not to say that the dialogue was "unrealistic" or that I am against the quirky style of the film, because indeed I love that style and felt it worked many times (and I was laughing and really enjoying it). However, there were several times that I felt lines were merely dressed up in lingo for the sake of being clever, and thus were not used to advance the plot as a comedy, nor used to develop Juno's sarcastic wit as the obvious defence mechanism that it was.

And secondly, the one rather major problem I had with the film, is the relationship between Juno and Mark. It just didn't mesh with me well, at all. I didn't enjoy it, and every time Juno went over to see Mark alone, I felt the film had taken a path away from the theme of the film and what I really enjoyed about it. I'm willing to admit that this isn't necessarily a "mistake" on the films part, it's just not something I personally enjoyed. I understand why the relationship was developed. 1) It showed how Mark was still young at heart, and wanted to pursue his music dreams and wasn't ready to start a family, and 2) That Juno, despite passing off the adoption as a mere exchange with no emotional baggage and hiding behind her humour, really did care what happened to the baby and was feeling something. But I think I would have appreciated it more if there wasn't this awkward relationship where Mark was essentially hitting on Juno and said something like "why have you been coming over here?" and such. I feel Diablo Cody could have executed that in a better way.

A couple little things that I would consider more minor problems: I didn't understand Juno's motivation to leave the women's clinic where she was going to get an abortion. She hears people coughing/writing/scratching their arm, and that's what makes her leave and decide she can't have the abortion? Perhaps there was a motivation in there somewhere, but I was very confused. I didn't think the director played that out particularly well. And while I thought Jennifer Garner did a terrific job at displaying just how much her character wanted this baby and wanted to be a mother, I thought she was a tad cold in the role and could have been a little warmer. I had a hard time warming up to her character and wanting her to have the baby.

Some great things about the film include the wonderful scene in the mall where Vanessa is feeling Juno's tummy for the baby kicking and talks to the baby. Ellen Page's reaction as Juno really compliments Garner as well.

I loved Juno's parents beyond everything else. They were terrific. They were hardly on screen, but if there was any justice in the world, Allison Janney would get a Supporting Actress nomination at the Oscars. She was just all around terrific and wonderful. I loved her character and how she decided to utter every line she spoke. It's a performance that hit the right note at every moment.

And finally, in contrast to the relationship between Juno and Mark, I loved the relationship between Juno and Paulie. The scene in the hallway at school was just great stuff - I think Page and Cera both played it so well.

Overall, a good film and I'm glad I checked it out. Nowhere near Little Miss Sunshine, and I wouldn't give any Oscars outside the performances (Ellen Page awesome, Allison Janney awesome).

B

Peace,
Mike

if you looked closely, each person was doing something with their fingernails.

scratching
painting their nails
tapping etc

this is why she didn't go thru with it.

HELLO BEST PICTURE NOMINEE

Yayy

Indeed

4 wks untill Juno wins BP YAY!

yay. we should have a Juno BP club to piss the others off.

It's unlikely it will win, though I personally would love to see it happen.

Yep, pretty much. I think the chances are that No Country for Old Men or There Will Be Blood will win. There's even the off-chance that Michael Clayton will upset everything somehow. I think Juno would have to rely on some post-nominations buzz to get the win.

When it was trying to be funny, I wasn't laughing, and when it was trying to be serious, I wasn't buying it. It's adeptly directed and acted, but the gimmicky language and unbelievable characters don't make the story interesting, involving, or realistic. I wasn't moved by the climax, nor did I even really care what happened to the characters. I didn't think the third act redeemed the first 2/3, it just shifted the film from 'nearly unbearable to sit through' to 'incredibly bland and mediocre'. And the music was simply terrible. I thought the actors, by and large, did the best with what they had, but they couldn't rescue the film from its terrible screenplay.

ew

Garner's character was actually my favorite of the film... she was one of the few members of the cast playing the role straight and as a result felt really genuine. Bateman too, I was a fan of that half of the story actually, the break-up and Juno's reaction to it was actually pretty poignant.

I wasn't really that into the rest though. I wasn't as annoyed at the script being unrealistic(though it was, obviously) as I was just bored by it... the dialogue wanted to be witty and engaging but ends up being just the opposite, ultimately kind of bland and hollow. Aside from Garner, I wasn't emotionally involved with any of these people.

There was also little stuff that bugged me, for example the ultra-sound scene. It's going fine, then Cody decides that the nurse has to insult Juno, if only for the sole purpose of giving the step-mom a reason to reveal herself as edgy and defending. A nurse in a professional position like that would NEVER insult the mother or say she's not right to raise a baby, give me a fucking break. Another thing, the short shorts and overall uniforms of the track runners. Paulie's look was supposed to bring laughs, but it's plain unbelievable and cartoony. And don't get me started on the references... ooo, I name dropped Argento, I'm hardcore.

Now, the good. Ellen Page is really great and I think she deserved her nomination. Cera's character isn't given much to work with, but the relationship ends up being believable. J.K. Simmons probably deserved a nomination for this, Janney did solid work as well. And yeah, I really loved the Garner and Bateman stuff.

As a whole, I didn't hate the movie, but it just never rose about typical indie comedy fare for me. Neither the script, characters, storyline or comedy rose above the average. The acting is good, but that doesn't elevate it enough. Honestly, it's kind of forgettable.

2.5/5

Oh, and I was I the only one bothered that they completley ignored whether or not Juno and Paulie used a condom/birth control or whatever? If Juno's supposibly the smartest girl ever, whyyyy would she have unprotected sex at 16? At least give us an explanation, anything at all, maybe the condom broke, whatever.

i think she's smart, but she's still totally naive. and i think the sex was something that just happened.

Clearly you've never had sex....

you should stop talking to your girlfriend, loyal. : (

Well the whole pregnancy as control thing is beleivable, hell i've seen a friend fall under that trap that silly bastard!!

Very nice movie.