“Juno” depicts a year or so in the life of a sixteen year old student who finds herself pregnant. Whatever the high school backdrop there are no ‘sit com’ moments or obviously contrived plot twists. Juno herself is neither insufferably cute nor wise beyond her years, just credibly smart and wise-cracking, knowing enough to know that if she doesn’t have all the answers, no one else does either. Her efforts to negotiate the pitfalls of abortion and/or adoption and to deal with the baby’s self-effacing father, toward whom she has mixed feelings, all ring hilariously true.

Ellen Page, last seen emasculating paedophiles in “Hard Candy”, is a revelation in the lead role. Working from a near perfect script (from the pen of new comer Diablo Cody), Page brings a directness seldom seen when it comes to the depiction of the American teenager.

Richard Swainson

Auteur House has 2 New Release rentals to giveaway! To win, be the first to head to 555 Victoria street and answer the Doctor’s stumper:
Diablo Cody won an Oscar for writing “Juno”. What was her former occupation?