Contrived dialogue. Watching this, one feels that the screenwriter is constantly trying to prove how cool she is with her regular and repetitive pop culture references. This was particularly evident during a 10-minute stretch in the film when the band Sonic Youth was referenced 4 times. These references contributed nothing to the story. Shades of characters from every Wes Anderson movie abound in Michael Cera's perpetual track-athlete costume. Shades of the film "Ghostworld" abound in Juno's relationship and dialogue with her best friend. I could go on... The addition of the pregnancy/adoption element is all that redeems this movie. But an opportunity to deal with these taboo subjects in a meaningful way is lost as the screenwriter panders to her own ego, terrorizing viewers with her sarcastic worldview. I know that my review rains on the "Juno Parade" but I have no regrets in doing so -- I feel totally justified.
Written 5/31/08
AT LAST I AM VINDICATED! what is with the buzz for this film? all style, no substance...it's like a self-aggrandizing exercise in hipster witticisms, which I guess impresses some people, but I found it unbearable. My suspicion is that a significant number of people are yearning for an articulate and strong-willed female character, and maybe, just maybe, tell themselves they like it because it makes them feel smart.
ReplyDeleteI'm not interested in trashing artists' work. I don't find that to be an enjoyable sport (as so many critics seem to). But in the case of "Juno", brutal honesty is requisite. I avoided viewing it for quite awhile after its release so as to separate myself from the hoopla. The unfortunate truth is this: "Juno" is a lackluster film.
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