I got the blue sky every morning, big yellow moon at night

[enthusiastick]

Finally got around to seeing it this weekend, on Sunday night with macabre_grrl.

• Juno -- 4 stars -- Oh man. Man, was this movie exactly everything that I wanted it to be. The cast was unbelievable, just chock full of actors I like doing what they do best. I went into it braced for it to be less than perfect, having read adampb's thoughts. He makes good points, kind of. Rainn Wilson's cameo in the first scene is a little over the top, and if the whole movie were like that it wouldn't be nearly so good. But I found that it actually helped to establish the tone, to show off what kind of world Juno lives in. And pretty quickly after that the movie hits its stride and just doesn't quit until the closing scenes. Ellen Page is brilliant; some grown-up version of Juno MacGuff is pretty much all that I want of woman (short, cute, snarky, funny, has no respect for anything, makes fun of everything constantly, etc.) Michael Cera is maybe a touch under-utilized, but the movie isn't really designed to feature him, so that's not a significant concern. I am worried about him being type-cast as a high schooler forever and ever, but he can probably pull it off for a little while longer yet. All in all I thought it was just note-perfect, and I can't heap enough praise on it.

Comments

[turkeyanne.livejournal.com]

My concern isn't really of Michael Cera being typecast as a high schooler, per se, but I'm afraid he's going to always play the wispy unassertive one, no matter how old he gets.

- Arrested Development = wispy, unassertive + in love with his cousin
- Tom Goes to the Mayor = wispy, unassertive + in weird blue crackly... thing
- Superbad = wispy, unassertive + nekkid
- Juno = wispy, unassertive + t3h impregnator, lolrofl (+ guitar)

[pooka-madness.livejournal.com]

You're absolutely right, I should have been clearer: I'm concerned about him being typecast as the same teenaged nebbish for the next ten years, and then abruptly vanishing from view when he's simply too old to look like a high schooler. Search around YouTube for some of the other stuff he's done; he's a fantastic actor with a great sense of comedic timing and way more range than that. And I agree, I look forward to seeing him on the big screen playing someone who isn't wispy and unassertive.

[adampb.livejournal.com]

Aww, now really! Yes, I stand by my dislike of the Rainn Wilson scene, but that was one effusive post, sir, good sir. I know that I tend to put out this horrible (yet strangely sexy) aura that I hate all movies, but I'll go to bat for "Juno" in any forum public or private.

I do agree that a lot of the ever-so-indie stuff was quite frontloaded to "establish the tone". My defense for disliking that, I guess, is that I'm always open to dialogue-heavy indie goodness, and do not need to be invited along for the ride when I'm already in the passenger seat clapping my hands. (Hell, I might LIVE in the world Juno lives in.)

I don't go for twee, but "Juno" goes beyond the surface and strikes the depths like a freakin' thunderbolt (or Thundercat)! GO SEE IT, PEOPLE.

NOW.

YOU'RE STILL READING THIS. YOU'RE NOT LISTENING TO ME.

[pooka-madness.livejournal.com]

As you've pointed out, you're hardly the average film-viewer. Just because you and I are "always open to dialogue-heavy indie goodness" doesn't mean that the rest of the world is. And I thought that Juno's opening scene succeeded far more adeptly at drawing its audience into that world than, say, Garden State. The Garden State opening is beautiful, but I would argue its also jarring and a little uneven (especially if you don't know what you're getting into, and people often don't.)

[digitalmcq.livejournal.com]

I have to agree. Juno really is one of the finest films I have seen in years.