Juno (2007)

Date: 12/06/07
Magnolia Theatre
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0467406/

Juno.

Pros.
Jennifer Garner/Jason Bateman divorce storyline.
Ellen Page and Micheal cera.
The ending, I think.

Cons.
Trying to be indie for the sake of being indie.
Live-action-Family-Guy.
The start.
Best jokes are in the trailer.

     The problem I held with Juno was how hard it was trying to be an indie film; despite a strong cast and decent writing, I couldn't get past it. Napolean Dynamite, Garden State, any Wes Anderson, Clerks, etc... are all very much a part of this film's culture. I'm cool with references, what bothers me is the slew of films as-of-late that are attempting to fit an "indie" mold to appeal to a certain type of audience and gain a mainstream sucess . It just feels cheap to me. Indie =! independent.
     I'll admit while some of the humour had my eyes rolling, some of it hit pretty dead on. The film didn't really click with me, at all, until we met Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman's characters. The seemingly happy couple's storyline definitely added another layer to the film for me; the twist it takes was a welcome detour from the dangerously predictable waters that the rest of the film wades in.
     The music was fairly predictable as well, with The Moldly Peaches doing their absolute best to be this year's Shins. The film saved itself (in my eyes, anyway) with the fantastic cover of "Superstar" by Sonic Youth being straight up discussed in the film, along with the multiple mentions of The Stooges.
     Overall, I found the film to be succesful in what it was trying to accomplish; a romantic teen comedy that walks the ever blurring line between what was once an indepedent film and what the mainstream film has become. It's lively enough to keep you entertained and nearly smart enough to keep you thinking.