ONE HARSH CRITIC: Juno

Juno: A Review
By Josh Gloer

This film is about a lot of things. Its about the search for happiness. It's about growing up fast. Its about self discovery. And it's about family, friends and support. It's about the good the bad and the ugly of adolescence. But its much simpler than all that. This movie, boiled down, is about life.

A colleague told me that its best to go into Juno with little understanding or knowledge of what I was about to see. In retrospect, I believe she was right, and therefore I'm going to offer you the same courtesy. I'm not going to outline the plot, I'm not going to rip the film to shreds or give it my seldom offered praise - this isn't the typical "One Harsh Critic" column. But I will tell you this...

Ellen Page dominates this film. Much like previous performances in harsh reality type films like Hard Candy, her presence takes over the screen. She plays a small in stature 17 year old high school junior who finds herself in trouble. She's not a bad person. She don't what so many young girls have done before her, but it's a problem all the same. Luckily, she has a good support system - something many adolescents lack, and she manages.

Michael Cera is funny in his dry, awkward way. While he plays a major role in the story, his screen time is minimal, yet he always has the audience rooting for him. J.K. Simmons plays a softer side, while Jason Bateman plays a much more serious role than he has of late.

What I did know about this film before I saw it was mostly the "Oscar Buzz" regarding Jennifer Garner's performance. I don't get it. She have about 17 minutes of screen time, and while she plays the part to a T... an Oscar? Really?

Marketing has been limited. I'm only just now seeing trailers on TV and have only seen one before another feature film. I've received no literature and seen very few posters or bench ads - there is not mass market media blitz for this film as one often sees living in Hollywood. Maybe there's a reason.

I knew very little about this film. And after reading this column, you probably know as much as I did before I saw Juno. It is the indie of the year (haha, its January), but this is no Little Miss Sunshine. Its worth watching to be sure, but this film won't knock your socks off. Just go for some witty dialogue, the comedy of Michael Cera and another great performance by the beautiful and hard-hitting Ellen Page. Go to enjoy a good small movie. Go for the fun of it.

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Josh Gloer, Movie Correspondent

You can find Josh's column One Harsh Critic, published every other Sunday night at http://oneharshcritic.gather.com.

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