Teen Movie?

Attempting to describe Juno is tricky as every short description will make you associate it with a certain type of film.

Teen comedy makes you think of Lindsay Lohan. A drama about teenage pregnancy and adoption makes you think of a heavy exploration of morality. It's neither of these and yet it's both (without Lindsay Lohan). Juno is laugh-out-loud funny, cry-your-eyes-out emotional, thought-provoking, clever, sweet and honest.

The story follows 16-year old girl Juno (Ellen Page), who is of course riddled with teenage troubles. After becoming accidentally pregnant she decides to give the child up for adoption and chooses couple Vanessa and Mark Loring (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) from a classified ad.

The story then follows Juno through her pregnancy, dealing with doctors, judgemental people, the adoptive parents and school. The script, written by 28-year-old Diablo Cody gives Juno a realistic cynical teenage voice without an ounce of condescension.

Ellen Page's brilliant acting then brings this character to life. Cody's script challenges every stereoptype and judgement perfectly – the pregnant kid isn't irresponsible, the stepmother isn't nasty, the boyfriend isn't repulsed by pregnancy, the seemingly cold Vanessa isn't as heartless as she appears.

Uncomfortable relationships are implied and nothing is spelt out in black and white. It is this subtlety and respect for the audience which makes Juno such a great film to watch. As an audience member you won't even know how you want it to end until it does and you realise it's perfect.

There are films that are great that once you've seen you will be glad you saw but won't want to watch again. Then there are films which are okay which you could watch repeatedly. Juno is a fantastic film which I could watch over an over again.

The DVD extras are actually pretty original with a gag reel which gives you a glimpse into the working relationship between this crazy bunch. There's also a selection of screen tests which are great for seeing the raw acting of Ellen Page and Michael Cera in particular.