This was probably one of the most talked about films of 2007, and I don’t really mean like it was talked about because of its greatness, it was just talked about because that was the fad…to talk about Juno. This “little quirky indie” movie that came out of nowhere captivated a lot of people, including many adults, and actually created its own niche in the culture. After this movie came out, I remember seeing a lot of little “Juno’s” running around my neighborhood and attending youth group, complete with skinny jeans and random scarfs all wrapped under a brightly-colored hoodie.

Despite its over-hype and the instant cultural-icon it became, this movie was actually really good. It had a heartfelt story, mixed with culturally relevant humor, adolescent hi-jinks, and some pretty vulnerable and memorable performances from the likes of Jennifer Garner, Ellen Page, and Michael Cera. And as much as I wanted to fight not to like this movie and not fall into the mainstream trap that EVERYONE else fell into around me, I couldn’t, because I truly enjoyed this movie.

There is so much to say about Ellen Page. I mean, she went from X-Men as a 4th or 5th character, to starring in this little movie about teen pregnancy, written by a newcomer to the industry, and directed by a famous director’s son…now, if that doesn’t spell “indie” then I don’t know what does. She perfectly portrayed a 2007-2008 teen girl who isn’t “part of the cool crowd” yet is smart and mature enough to make fun of that crowd, while still maintaining her own brand of identity…complete with skinny jeans and scarfs. I tend to agree with other critics about the first 15-20 minutes of dialogue between her and her best friend Leah though, in that I couldn’t understand half of what they were saying. It was almost like Jason Reitman (director) was intentionally trying to establish in the beginning that “this was an indie movie with quirky and fast dialogue, and you won’t be able to keep up.” I needed an urban dictionary to figure out most of the words they were saying. Fortunately, that was about the only time in the movie where it kind of disconnected from the audience. Ellen did a wonderful job of engaging the audience with her “too-cool-for-school” attitude mixed with a subtle vulnerability that I think we could all identify with. She was confident in who she was, yet open and honest enough to display genuine concern for another person’s baby, a baby that just so happens to grow inside of her. I was waiting for the typical selfish teenage girl to come out in Juno, the one I’m so used seeing in most films starring teens these days, but unlike most movies, Reitman decided to stay with a more centered and grounded teenage girl-a phenomenon very much absent in most of cinema.

This movie is tackling an issue, (not so much that it’s a “message movie”) that is very prevalent in our schools and to see Juno handle this life-changing situation with confidence and humor was refreshing. Is this too naive? Would a girl today act that confident in her decision to give up her baby to adoption? Was this too much of a “movie script” to face reality?

Michael Cera did a great job of portraying the same character he does in all of his roles, the understated sidekick to the protagonist with the witty, self-deprecating, and unsure-of-himself comments. He played Paulie Bleeker, Juno’s track star BFF who was the baby’s father and who unconditionally loved Juno for who she was, though Juno had a hard time seeing it. If there was something missing in this movie for me, it was the fact that they didn’t really expound on Bleeker’s story and his reactions to being a daddy. I really wanted to see how he handled the news of becoming a teenage dad because it seems that in all of the media and on the news, we only hear about teenage mommies and what they go through. I know that for the most part, the guys couldn’t care less and abandon the girl, but in this instance Bleeker looked from a distance to be genuinely concerned with the effects of what being a teenage dad would have on his life. I guess it’s just something we’ll have to as an audience discuss and muse about on the Internet and with our friends.

One of the most memorable performances for me was that of Jennifer Garner and what an amazing portrayal she turned in. I fell in love with her character and her vulnerability, and to me, you could have given the Oscar for best performance to her face, because in all of her scenes, it was her expressions, her look of sadness, joy, desperation, that really drove home who she was and how much turmoil she was going through inside. One scene in particular, when Juno runs into her at the mall and tells her to touch her belly to feel the baby kicking, you see this woman who kind of feels like she doesn’t deserve to touch the belly as it’s not hers, yet secretly and desperately wants to feel like she’s a PART of this baby…I won’t give it away, but man, this scene alone could have won the Oscar for Garner in my opinion.

As you can see, I loved this movie. Though I don’t see why it was up for an Oscar, maybe because the Academy felt like a movie that received this much hype might as well be considered, it definitely will make it onto my movie-shelf. Juno had a sweetness to it that you don’t normally find in teeny movies, especially INDIE teeny movies. If you haven’t seen it, and you’re curious about it, take it from me, RENT THIS MOVIE! You will not be let down.

Content Warning: Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, sexual content and language. It’s a movie with teenagers, so you can expect some language here and there and for the “getting pregnant” scene, it’s done in a way that doesn’t reveal too much sexual material. This movie was surprisingly tastefully done and I was very glad for that. Typically, a movie about high schoolers involves a lot of sexual innuendos, even to go as far as having sex scenes, but Juno did a tasteful job of exploring today’s high school issues without having to be too intense.

I’ve never seen Gael Garcia Bernal in a movie before and after watching this one, I leaned over to my wife and said, “I want to see more of what he’s done.” His performance as Stephane was filled with so much raw emotion, giving a strong emotional core to the film. Without his powerful and nuanced performance, the spectacle of the film would have been too much; however, Bernal keeps it grounded in reality with a character so truthful that the insanity happening around him seems completely believable. His life becomes so boring and mundane to him that he prefers to live in his dreams and throughout the movie, his dreams actually start creeping into his waking life.

There are some real neat child-like moments with Bernal and his love interest Stephanie, played masterfully by Charlotte Gainsbourg, that include imagining water as cellophane, playing with Bernal’s one second time machine, and looking through his 3-D glasses. (”Isn’t real life already in 3D?” asks Stephanie at one point) At times I felt sorry for him because I felt like he was a grown up who was trapped in his fantasy of wanting to be a boy again. The most awkward of the scenes were the ones that involved him trying to be flirtatious or charming with Stephanie. You remember in middle school how awkward it was to try and talk to girls you liked? Well, that’s how it felt to watch Stephane work his magic. Yet, it was his indomitable creative spirit that he found mirrored in the equally creative, yet more realistically centered Stephanie.

Contrast to his rough and dissatisfying real world is Stephane’s dream world. It is outlandish, beautiful, and unrestrained. It is in these sequences when Gondry really shows what he’s about. They are filled with so much eye candy it is difficult to take in at times. They range from the absurd (a spider typewriter), to the grand (an entire cardboard city), or to the beautiful (a cloth horseback ride to a boat on a sea of cellophane). What makes the scenes all the more incredible is that, for the most part, Gondry relies only on practical effects. There’s something so refreshingly classic to utilizing stop-motion camera work and actual physical props. It definitely adds that nostalgic touch to the film.

Though not expected but very much welcomed, the film was also filled with some great transcendent humor through the characters’ dialogue. By using truth instead of punch lines to provide the humor, Gondry adds another layer to his already versatile film. The dialogue is in French, English, and Spanish, each seamlessly interweaving with each other, much like the realities of the film interweave. There comes a point in the film where you stop realizing the language of the film is constantly changing. As the film progresses, you forget that at times, it’s either in French, Spanish, or English, it just all flows together as an organic, wonderful dialogue.

This is a film that will amaze you with its visual canvas, and touch you with its powerful emotion. Michel Gondry has created a film that even through the unbelievable situations and perspectives, has so many delicately-crafted human moments. Deep down, this film is a love story. Going back to the title sequence’s spin art, below all of layers being spun and pushed around run currents of human emotion which Gondry smartly anchors the film with; therefore, allowing it to soar.

Content Warning: This movie is rated R for language, some sexual content and nudity. This is not a film for the little ones. Though I am not an advocate of watching rated R movies because of the liberty the studios feel they have to add outrageous content, this one isn’t a STRONG R, but it’s a R nonetheless. There are 2 scenes where my wife and I had to avert our eyes because of female AND male nudity. Be cautious. But, the sexual content does not ruin the film. Just be warned.