Juno
(M) Fox DVD

This film, which tells the story of a vivacious teen (Ellen Page) who decides to go through with her unplanned pregnancy, raised a few eyebrows when it was released earlier this year.

Against popular opinion, I first found Juno’s relentless humour more irritating than charming. During the first section of the film, even the minor characters are a little too witty, a little too quirky, resulting in uniform wackiness rather than any sharp individuality.

Luckily this starts to let up, leaving room for some more natural feelings to circulate and breathe life into the story.

When Juno meets with Mark and Vanessa (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner), the wealthy and “perfect” parents she hopes will adopt her unborn child, director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking) begins to better explore the uncomfortable and potentially messy combination of a fledgling adult mind and a critical decision.

Endearingly flawed characters like Bleeker (Michael Cera), Juno’s best friend and co-procreator, and a refusal to revert to moralistic preaching, makes this beautifully-stylised world a thought provoking place to visit.

Lyndal Irons