I HEART JUNO

Believe it or not, I do have other interests besides politics; one being movies. So, here's my attempt at a movie review for the little gem of a film called Juno. It's seriously the best movie I've seen in some time ... and yes, even better than (favorite to with the Oscar) No Country for Old Men.

QUICK PLOT SUMMARY
Ellen Page plays Juno, a smart-mouthed teen who finds out that one dumb chair related move with boyfriend Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera) leaves her with child. After an uncomfortable trip to the local planned parenthood center, Juno decides to give the baby up for adoption. Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner play Mark and Vanessa Loring, the couple Juno chooses to be the adoptive parents. And speaking of parents, Juno's are played with class and style by Spider-Man's J. K. Simmons and West Wing's Allison Janney.

MY REVIEW
It's a rare treat when one has the opportunity to witness the birth of a superstar. But that is indeed how I felt watching Ellen Page command the screen during her remarkable performance in Juno. I can think of only a handful of actors who can be at the same time charming, soulful, witty, sad, and uplifting in a single role. Yet, Page pulls it off with an ease that makes one slightly jealous. This movie is chalk full of seasoned thespians, but she takes a back seat to none.

Sometimes one great performance is all you need carry a film, but luckily for us, everyone is at the top of their game here. Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner play the seemingly perfect couple that hopes to adopt young Juno's baby. They are in fact so sugary nice, you expect to see them in a picture frame sitting on a shelf at Sears. As the film progresses, however, you begin to feel that something is not quite right with either of them. And it is a tribute to their performances that a simple look or a couple of words can reveal so much. Garner may be the most surprising of the two given the Alias-esq roles for which she's so well known. Who would have thought you could so easily fall for her as an uptight yuppie?

J. K. Simmons and Allison Janey also deserve a shout out as Juno's father and stepmother respectively. Earlier in the movie, you really want to dislike these two. He is ex-military; she reminds you of some strange librarian you might have seen in junior high. But like Bateman and Garner, there is much more to them than meets the eye, and peeling back the layers of their personalities is a fun ride.

Finally, I can't forget Michael Cera, who perfectly melds his Arrested Development innocence with adult complexity as he dances through the land mine of impregnating his 16-year-old girlfriend.

The beautiful script by former stripper Diablo Cody is the glue that binds all this brilliance together. Her characters are so smart and funny, you kind of wish their words were your own. And don't for a minute think you know where the movie is going. Because just when you want it to go one way, you're pulled in a different direction. All the directions, though, are ones you will desire to follow.

MY RATING
5 Stars (Out of 5)