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| Juno [2007] | ![Juno [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51IEUiNa4WL._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | List Price: £19.99
Buy New: £12.98
You Save: £7.01 (35%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 10 reviews)
Sales Rank: 303
Category: DVD
Actors: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, J.k. Simmons, Allison Janney, Jennifer Garner
Director: Jason Reitman
Publisher: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Label: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Format: Pal
Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Media: DVD
Running Time: 92 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
EAN: 5039036037990
ASIN: B0015VI334
Release Date: June 9, 2008 (In 27 Days)
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Not yet released
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Somewhere between the sharp satire of Election and the rich human comedy of You Can Count On Me lies Juno, a sardonic but ultimately compassionate story of a pregnant teenage girl who wants to give her baby up for adoption. Social misfit Juno (Ellen Page, Hard Candy, X-Men: The Last Stand) protects herself with a caustic wit, but when she gets pregnant by her friend Paulie (Michael Cera, Superbad), Juno finds herself unwilling to terminate the pregnancy. When she chooses a couple who place a classified ad looking to adopt, Juno gets drawn further into their lives than she anticipated. But Juno is much more than its plot; the stylised dialogue (by screenwriter Diablo Cody) seems forced at first, but soon creates a richly textured world, greatly aided by superb performances by Page, Cera, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman as the prospective parents, and J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man) and Allison Janney as Juno's father and stepmother. Director Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking) deftly keeps the movie from slipping into easy, shallow sarcasm or foundering in sentimentality. The result is smarter and funnier than you might expect from the subject matter, and warmer and more touching than you might expect from the cocky attitude. Page's performance is deceptively simple; she never asks the audience to love her, yet she effortlessly carries a movie in which she's in almost every scene. That's star power. -- Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
We Sure Are Cute For two Ugly People May 11, 2008
Juno McGuffin is a hip, offbeat 16 year old; whose recent fling with her best friend has left her pregnant, sore and generally bummed out. After informing her best friend and ruling out the possibility of an abortion, she decides to find a couple who want to adopt. Vanessa and Mark Loring are the perfect suburban couple, rich, attractive and desperate to have a child; she's a little uptight but Juno connects with Mark's free and easy attitude and starts to find his company, talking about movies, music and life highly comforting. But Juno's pregnancy isn't going to be as easy as expected, with people's desire changing as well as people's needs and relationships breaking down and forming, the world seems to be a more uncertain place for her. Will she be able to fight for the happy ending which she so desperately wants? And will her strong, witty personality remain intact after the ordeal is over?
Juno is a great big cinematic hug - a big hearted, big brained piece of indie filmmaking with gorgeous performances, a brilliant screenplay, whimsical soundtrack and some brilliant directorial flourishes. It's a true charmer; filled with genuine emotions, fuelled by a freshness and crispness which is completely unique and spiked with a love of life and understanding of human kind which makes the whole thing extremely moving. It's hard not to be caught up in the wonder of it all because the characters are engaging enough to keep you genuinely interested and emotionally involved and the plot is human, clever and never gimmicky. What at first seems stale swiftly turns compassionate, lovable and gripping; it's an indisputable surprise and as it runs into its concluding sequences, with its heart firmly on its sleeve, you may find yourself willing the characters on, swooning at the well deserved happy ending and marvelling at the subtle power of the whole thing.
It's easy to see why the critics write about Juno with such feverish excitement; it's one of the freshest films to come along in a long time, but for the first fifteen minutes I was very underwhelmed.......the dialogue seems forced and the premise too kooky to be realistic. Infact even Ellen Page's exceptional performance seems a little off key, however, somewhere along the line Juno creeps up on you, it grabs you without your knowledge; and eventually charms you off your feet, serving a few devastating body blows and hooking your emotions until the very end. It's hard to imagine anyone not being charmed by the film; it takes such pleasure in its characters and is so shaggily moving, it looks gorgeous and shines with the originality and passion of its cast. Perhaps the most engaging thing about Juno is its central romance - Paulie and Juno's journey is a heart breaking one, their chemistry is palpable and their interactions believably written. Their scenes are awkward, tender, sweet and engaging and their rocky relationship steals your heart from the very first frame. It's a romance which works because you believe that they should be happy, you invest in this snap shot of their lives and everything isn't handed to them on a plate, they have to fight for what they want and it's a romantic, rocky road.
The most striking thing about Juno is its stylish screenplay; Diablo Cody crafts a witty, hip world, where people know exactly the right thing to say and speak with candour and intelligence which is extremely refreshing. It takes her a while to get the script to an even tone (at first it seems a little forced) but once she does her whimsical style and exceptional even handedness takes hold. Her mixing of comedy and drama is extremely well played, with heartbreaking scenes next to hilarious ones and she shows a knack for dialogue which runs throughout the whole thing. She manages to give substance to the smallest of characters, giving them all emotional back stories and successful story arcs and she throws in a few truly unexpected twists to keep it interesting. It's complex but not overly so and the player's emotions seem realistic and believable, they manage to steal your heart, but it doesn't seem manipulative and the finale is delivered with such amount of passion that it's nigh on impossible to resist. The screenplay gracefully avoid some of the predictabilities of the dramedy genre, the finale isn't expected and some of the characters transformations are unique, and as it slides to the final reel, neither the comedy or drama of the piece is given up. It's emotional without being saccharine; it's uplifting without being too 'Hollywood' and it's truly powerful.
Ellen Page gives one of the performances of the year; her impassioned, dead pan portrayal of Juno McGuffin is the beating heart of the film, she delivers the comedy with flair and handles the emotional scenes with rawness which is completely engaging. She delivers the dialogue with wit and even though her character is at times kind of hard to like, she manages to make all of her scenes completely charming. She seems very comfortable in front of the camera lens and has a nice rapport with the other cast (especially the equally brilliant Michael Cera) but is equally amiable in the scenes where she is alone. There could have been room to overact but Page never does, her powerful presence is subtle and she underlines all of the scenes with a sort of whimsy which is contagious. She carries the film on her slender shoulders and does so with comedic hilarity and emotional resonance.
Jennifer Garner is radiant as Vanessa, the uptight yuppie who's adopting Juno's baby. She literally glows in many of her scenes and perfectly plays the story arc of her character; as her defences slowly melt away and her desperation for a child reveals itself she displays a huge range and its truly heartbreaking. It's a compassionate yet restraint performance and as she explores the twists and turns of prospective parenthood she radiates love and fear. It's a truly intelligent performance, and allows Garner to break free from her hard-ass female heroine mould; she runs away with one of the film's most affecting scenes, where Vanessa speaks to Juno tummy in an attempt to connect with the baby and looks amazing all the way through (adding to my not-so-secret crush on her.) Allison Janney is brilliant as Juno's stepmother, with dead on comic timing and intelligent handling on the most emotional scenes and J.K Simmons is equally affecting as the protagonists father.
Jason Reitman's debut film Thank you For Smoking was an acid tongued satire of corporate America and it was a stunner, but with Juno he finds a softer side to his direction and manages to create a wickedly beautiful tone and 'look'. He directs with a briskness that keeps things moving, but allows the film to take it's time to deliver its emotional low-blows and shows a wonderful eye for visuals. His handling of the comedy is at times brilliant and he never allows the film to feel preachy; this film isn't meant to be a standard Hollywood issue film and he makes that extremely clear. He manages to give the whole thing a quirky, off kilter quality which is appealing but not alienating for the mass movie going audience and mines the emotional sequences for all their worth. His direction is fresh and intimate and it makes the film a true gem.
Many people have compare Juno to Little Miss Sunshine; however I hated the latter and loved the former, so I see the similarities hard to find and even Juno has its moments of uncertainty.....but it remains an undeniably fresh, intelligent, moving, absorbing and quirky modern film, with great performances (I have no doubt that Ellen Page will go on to have a long and fruitful Hollywood career), great direction (from somebody who really seems to know what their doing) and a script writer who seems to have found a new and confident voice without selling out to the formulaic. I suggest you go and see it, because it really is a entertaining treat.
Jay Bamber
 Calmly brilliant May 5, 2008
Unlike most of the other successful comedies coming out of America at the moment, "Juno" dispenses with the gross-out comedy and manic humour of Will Ferrel and so forth. Instead, "Juno" is calmly funny. The jokes are all good - not strictly speaking laugh-out-loud, but guaranteed to raise more than a few smiles at least.
The acting, too is superb. This refers to the whole cast, not just the primary members. Everything about the movie was great. I highly recommend it.
All The Young Dudes May 3, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
"All The Young Dudes
All the young dudes
Carry the news
Boogaloo dudes
Carry the news" David Bowie
"But "Juno" (which played at the Telluride and Toronto film festivals, not the one in Park City, Utah) respects the idiosyncrasies of its characters rather than exaggerating them or holding them up for ridicule. And like Juno herself, the film outgrows its own mannerisms and defenses, evolving from a coy, knowing farce into a heartfelt, serious comedy." A.O.Scott
Juno, played by Ellen Page, is the 16 year old heroine of this film, was named after one of the Roman Gods. In this case, it fits this character explicitly. Juno is one of the more mature 16 year old in this universe. After 3 pregnancy tests and a gallon of orange drink she accepts the fact that she is pregnant. She considers aborting but rules that out quickly. She confides in her close friend, and they look for suitable parents and find them in the local Penny-Saver. Juno then sets the stage for her parents who are supportive and loving. J K Simmons plays her dad and Allison Janey her step mom. They are not saccharine sweet but realistic and realize they have an independent and capable young woman in Juno. Her boyfriend Bleeker, Michael Cera, gives his support and in his way is there for her. Her best friend, played by Olivia Thirlby, is the kind you gotta have, Dude.
It took me half an hour of listening to smart, cool language, Dude, to realize I was indoctrinated quickly into the culture of this film. The film is not about pro or con abortion or any legal or moral message. It just is. Juno is pregnant after unprotected sex, and everyone comes together to accept what is happening. The to-be parents played by Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman are just the right mix until one of them decides this is not to be. Juno is in all honesty the most mature of this bunch-she guides the adults in her direction and nothing will upset her path. The soundtrack is great- a mix of the most quirky music out there- but you find yourself humming along and tapping your toes.
"Part whip-smart teen comedy, part drama, backed by a quirky soundtrack and the most subtle comic performance by a youngster in years, Juno is a rare feel-good film in the morose pack of Oscar contenders." Jim Slotek
I had no real wish to view this film, but was told by friends that it was a a winner, and it is. I loved the film. Got kind of teary at the end and the fresh approach by the writer Diablo Cody kept my attention.
Highly Recommended. prisrob 04-20-08
Juno April 29, 2008
When she's bored one day, 16 year old Juno McGuff (Ellen Page) decides its time to experiment with sex, and enlists the help of her not-quite-boyfriend Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). But shockingly (!) Juno end up pregnant. After a trip to an abortion clinic leaves her cold, she decides to have the child. But what to do with it once it's born? Her best friend Leah (Olivia Thirby) suggests looking in the Penny Saver in the `Desperately Seeking Spawn' adverts (right next to the pet adverts). It's here that they find wealthy, suburban couple Mark and Vanessa Loring (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner), who agree to adopt Juno's unborn child.
The debut film from stripper-cum-blogger-cum-screenwriter Diablo Cody is one of the most real and down to earth films that Hollywood has produced in years. She has tackled an issue which most wouldn't go near with a barge pole - abortion and teenage pregnancy - as it would be dealt with in the real world. Too often in these films, in trying to put across a `message', they make the characters seem one dimensional, with one reaction given, one decision taken and one emotion portrayed. What Juno does is deal with exactly the same issue, but as normal people would - we take the decision and we deal with that decision, without the universe imploding. There are no massive twists and turns in the film. Instead, the drama follows the emotional high and lows of a sixteen year old dealing with pregnancy and childbirth, and the step into adulthood which this brings with it. Cody has also avoided going for the Hollywood ending; instead allowing the film to come the natural conclusion which the previous 80 minutes had been building up to.
The cast of this film don't put a step wrong. Nineteen year old actress Ellen Page is the smart, quick witted Juno. In the initial stages of the film, the too-cool-to-be-real mother-to-be can come across as slightly annoying, seeming to have an answer for everything. But in the scene when she comes out to her parents about the pregnancy, we see that she uses humour to hide her insecurities. Ellen Page was deserved of her Oscar nomination in this role. Michael Cera, as Juno kinda-not-boyfrield Paulie, gives an understated performance, telling things as they are, rather than overcomplicating them with masses of in your face emotion and morality lessons. It's also Paulie who manages to bring down Juno's defences, to let us see the girl within. JK Simmons and Allison Janney, as Juno's father and step-mother, continue this trend, giving real life reactions to this real life issue, rather than breaking with character just `give the message' of the film. Also, the bond which the pregnancy creates between step-daughter and step-mother is quite touching.
Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman play The Lorings. They live in the house built by various home interior magazines and dress in a casual, but that glass will need a coaster under it way. When Juno first meets the couple, she finds in Mark a kindred spirit. All that she finds in Vanessa is an up-tight, hopeful mother to be. But as the film progresses, and Juno finds herself "dealing with things way beyond my maturity level", the perception of the couple switches, and Garner's performance shines.
A person's music choice is one of the most individual parts of their personality, and the soundtrack of Juno only helps to add another dimension to her personality. It's a mixture of folkly songs, indie tunes and re-worked rock classics which cement Juno's identity as a free spirit. From artists you do know - Belle and Sebastian and The Kinks- to artists you won't - Barry Louis Polisar and The Melody Peaches - the music also gives the film a warm and laid back feeling.
Sharp, emotional and - sorry to say it again - REAL, Juno is one of the most perfect 90 minutes of cinema you will see, anchored by a shining performance from rising star Ellen Page.
 What's more annoying than a wasp in a spacesuit ? Juno of course. April 21, 2008
2 out of 10 found this review helpful
Jeez am I the only one who found this film intensely annoying. Sure the lead actress is cute (which I would guess wins a lot of male votes) but she is just so annoying that I kept having fantasies about pummeling her to an early grave with a large wet mackerel.
The music is dreadful, the script too clever for its own good and you say it was a comedy? Jeez I must check that word in the dictionary...
No sixteen old girl is that confident, that uncomplicated to act in this way. It made no sense and was ultimately just rather dull.
So why 2 stars. Well as I said she was quite cute....
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