Good, Just Not my Taste

Eh.

I'm not sure I've ever heard Ebert and Roeper use that word to describe a movie, but it's how I felt after seeing Juno yesterday in theaters. The movie was entertaining enough to keep my attention, but it was not memorable. It was an artsy, rebellious version of Knocked Up, and it didn't hold up in comparison.

The movie revolves around independent-minded 16-year-old Juno Macguff (Ellen Page) who gets pregnant with unemotional, undeveloped, uncool Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). At first she considers abortion, but eventually decides to have the baby and give it up for adoption. Over the course of the film, Juno must deal with all sorts of issues--with Bleeker, the adopting family, and herself--which constantly put the fate of the unborn baby into question. Will she keep the baby for herself? Will she find a different family for adoption? Will she split apart the adopting family?

All of these questions swirled through my head and led to an incredibly awkward viewing experience. The resolution to the questions is underwhelming. The movie begins to head down one track, and then all the sudden veers in another direction, without much transition in between. I know that's very vague, but I don't know how to write movie reviews, and I don't want to give away too much.

I suppose the main reason for my tepid review of Juno is that the previous two comedies I've seen in theaters are Knocked Up and Superbad. They were both two hours of penis jokes, McLovin, and tear-inducing laughter. They were in-your-face comedies that still managed to get a message across. Juno fits into a different category. It's a romantic comedy that's far more subtle. For some, this might be preferred (Juno has gotten rave reviews). But for me (a male teenager), it takes a backseat.

Ellen Page as Juno is fantastic. She is incredibly believable, and some how manages to conquer the complexity of her character. On the other side, Michael Cera as Bleeker is as uncomplex as possible. How many more movies can Cera possibly do? In life, there are certainly people that are emotionally vacant, but in a movie, such characters can get tiring.

If romantic comedies are you're thing, definitely go ahead and see Juno. But if you want to laugh-up the meal you just ate, go rent Superbad and watch it at home.