Juno

The problem with Juno isn't that it’s a feel-good movie about teen pregnancy. Actually, the film's portrayal of teen pregnancy, while being essentially implausible, isn’t particularly glamorising either. The problem is that the parts of the script that writer Diablo Cody obviously thinks are her very best zingers are actually the weakest parts by far. That is to say, the problem with Juno is Juno. The character is so overwritten, so overwhelmingly precocious and soaked in over-the-top teen lingo that not even the ultra-adorable and talented Ellen Page could make me stop cringing by about 15 minutes in. To be clear, my problem with Juno isn’t that she’s not a realistic teenager — nothing about this film screams realism anyway — my problem is only that she’s not a particularly well-written teenager. The supporting cast, on the other hand, gets handed several genuinely funny moments and memorable lines of dialogue. Juno’s supportive, no-nonsense dad (J.K. Simmons) is especially funny and Michael Cera, as the bewildered and somewhat reluctant baby daddy, has some awesome, subtly hilarious moments. Even Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner, the two-dimensional, would-be adoptive parents, get a few moments to shine. Unfortunately, none of that is what Cody considers her A-material, so it’s relegated to the sidelines of the film while Juno’s hamburger phone and incessant hipster-name-dropping take centre stage. One small quibble: if the main character of this film repeatedly insists that she’s obsessed with the Stooges and Patti Smith, then why is the soundtrack made up of the feyest, twee-est music imaginable? I liked the songs but they actually felt a bit out of place considering the film’s constant ham-fisted punk references. Special features include a commentary with Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody, a whole bunch of deleted scenes, a gag reel, some pretty amusing screen tests and a "Cast and Crew Jam,” which seems to be a fake music video featuring the film’s stars. Why’s that guy from The Office in it so much? He was only in the film for two minutes.