The American independent film is alive and well, as long as operators of Reitman's calibre can earn a crust from works so finely tuned that they accommodate comedy alongside tragedy; mass appeal co-existing with a real point. Here, the comic element is moved away from the headily caustic satire of Reitman's last outing, Thank You for Smoking, and into the mercurial dialogue of the titular character, a precociously worldly 16-year-old who becomes pregnant and promptly sets about finding foster parents for her untimely load. There's a real art in crafting her wise-cracking armour so that we remain aware of its brittleness and the fact that there's still just a bluffing, vulnerable teenager under it all. Ellen Page is a revelation in the role, but there's plenty more astute casting on show, and , importantly, no character is left a mere butt of ridicule or cypher. Despite being heavily centered on Juno, the supporting parts all get a moment to live, which in turn breathes verisimilitude into the whole picture. An unpretentious gem of a film.
8/10
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