JUNO

"Four pregnancy tests, how did you produce that much pee?"

Juno MacGuff (Page) has always been a free spirit, looking at life in her own unique way but two months after she sleeps the schools best long distance runner Paulie Bleeker (Cera) her life turns upside down. She is pregnant. Knowing that at sixteen she wouldn't be able to give the child the life she deserves, Juno and her best friend Leah (Thirlby) look for prospective adoptive parents and formulate a plan before she tells her Dad (Simmons) and stepmother (Janney) about her situation.

Every couple of years a small budget, character driven quirky comedy comes along and becomes an instant cinematic gem, 'Juno' is one of those movies.

After making a real splash with 'Thank You for Smoking' in 2005, Ivan Reitman's son Jason continues to ride that wave with his second feature length movie, 'Juno'. The story of a sixteen year old girl who becomes pregnant might not sound like the most original premise for a movie but Reitman and his creative team's approach to character development and story make this one of those rare low budget, character driven gems.

A movie like this survives on its characters and 'Juno' creates one that you instantly take to and care about. These are not your typical Hollywood version of high school students, filled with beautiful people who look like they are in their late twenties who don't really know about the real world or real problems. Juno, Bleeker and Leah are your average, slightly quirky sixteen year olds who see life as an adventure and come up with their own unique methods of dealing with adult problems. Juno and Leah tackle the problem head on, looking in the local paper for prospective adoptive parents for her unborn child, while Bleeker just throws himself into his running, distancing himself from the problem, even though everyone at school is talking about it and Juno is getting bigger. This added realism, injected with some truly quirky realisations and development that just endear you to the characters even more. Add to this some equally quirky adult characters that have just as many problems as the kids and you have a movie that you will connect with more than anything Hollywood usually turns out.

With the characters and the story drawing you in, it is the performances of the cast that breathe life into the movie and the actors and actresses in 'Juno' make the movie the gem that it is. Michael Cera is carving out a career for himself as a fine comedic actor. Extremely naturalistic in his approach, the actor builds on his experiences on TV show 'Arrested Development' and his starring role in 2007 smash 'Superbad' to create an endearing and likeable teenager that you can believe in. He reacts in the way that any sixteen year old would who has little or no real life experience, deciding to concentrate on running instead of his responsibilities. Olivia Thirlby makes a great impact as Juno best friend Leah, the girl who asks the most unlikely questions but gets the answers. J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney are perfectly cast as Juno's father and stepmother, each reacting differently to Juno's revelation but being supportive and understanding as their daughter goes through her pregnancy. Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner show again that they are fine character actors, with Bateman's Mark still consumed by his own worries about been a new father and Garner's Vanessa becoming the obsessed wannabe mother who needs everything to be perfect.

Stealing the entire film is the performance of Ellen Page. After coming to the attention of moviegoers and critics alike with her performance in 'Hard Candy' in 2005, Page has quickly become an actress to watch and as Juno she reinforces this and how. As the driving force of the movie, acting as the lead character and the narrator, Page is simply exceptional. She creates a peculiar and odd character but one that you instantly adore for her approach to life and her passion for everything she does. Even though she has to deal with one of the most life changing moments of her very young life, it's her approach to this that allows you to connect instantly with the character and make you adore her even more.

'Juno' is a gem of a movie. Drawing you into story and the characters from the first scene, this is a rare look at real teenage Americana, while still been slightly quirky. With a stunning leading performance from a real superstar in the making, Ellen Page and an ensemble that backs her to the hilt, this low budget, character driven filmmaking at its very best and while it might not appeal every age demographic because of its language and content, this is a film that you should watch, enjoy and embrace.

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2008