The much anticipated indie comedy, Juno, sees a whole lot of cinema favourites joining forces under the direction of Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking) and a debut script from stripper-turned-writer Diablo Cody. Ellen Page (Hard Candy) is the sharp-tongued, assertive 16 year-old, Juno McGaff, who has just fallen pregnant to her insecure best friend Paulie, (played by Michael Cera of Superbad and Arrested Development) after one singular sexual act inspired by a naïve crush and a night of boredom. Suddenly she’s facing major decisions, meeting adoption parents, forging unexpected connections and testing the limits of her emotional strength. And, while you may be forgiven for expecting the clichés that traditionally accompany ‘pregnancy films,’ this film breathes life into what could have easily been very tiresome subject matter. Certainly, there’s a certain constructed nature to the dialogue (comparable to the unstoppable quips of the Gilmore girls), but it is sprinkled with so many delicious insights and clever witticisms that it seems seamlessly natural in its sheer originality. The way in which these lines are delivered is also worthy of notice – with the actors smoothly avoiding caricatures to create rich and endearingly eccentric characters without calling to heavily upon their past roles (with the possibly exception of Cera – though even he brings a new layer to his usual portrayal of the a adolescent). Juno is already the first note worthy film of the year.
Rating: 9.3
Upon exiting the cinema after viewing The Kite Runner, I overheard someone commenting about how great it was that the filmmakers had opted to leave this subtitled, going on to speak of this factor as if it could inherently be associated with “quality.” I’d like to take this opportunity to point out that subtitles alone should not be so simplistically equated with profundity. David Benioff’s adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s novel is in fact so overtly sentimental, cheaply tear-jerking and sensationally dramatic that it entirely destroys any remote semblance of the profound. A cross-generational epic set against the violent backdrop of Afganistan’s recent political turmoil, The Kite Runner follows young Amir and Hassan, whose friendship is destroyed Hassan is made a victim of religious vilification and Amir is revealed a coward. Ten years on, Amir is in America writing novels about his childhood when he is called by to rescue Hassan’s son and redeem himself at long last. Throughout this shifting (and seemingly endless) narrative flow, virtually every cheap trick in the book is pulled out and placed centre stage – the worst example of which is Amir running into the bullies of his childhood when he returns home (can you guess what they will now be doing?). In addition, the pacing is terrible, the performances are stiff and uninspiring, and the characters are all undeveloped (especially the women).
Rating: 5.9
This week at Sommerville, PIAF presents Tell No One, based on the novel of the same name by American author Harlan Coben. Adapted by Guillaume Canet in his second directorial role, the story transposes neatly into a French context, although the American accents of the original remain in tact – arguably to the film’s detriment. Tell No One focuses upon paediatrician Alex Beck (Francois Cluzet) who, eight years after his wife’s mysterious murder, has received an inexplicable email suggesting that she may still be alive. Things spin out of control when two bodies are concurrently found near the murder site, one of them containing traces of Beck’s DNA, therefore forcing him to flee police accusation whilst simultaneously struggling to piece together the scattered puzzle, with only the aid of his sister’s wealthy girlfriend (Kristin Scott-Thomas). On the one hand, it’s a pity that there is nothing distinctly French about the adaptation – the storyline’s potential to give way to emotional or psychological investigation has been forsaken in favour of car chase sequences and scared facial expressions. On the other hand, quite a few French thrillers have been so distracted by their psychological undertones that any semblance of actual thrill is lost. In that respect, Tell No One excels – because its fast-paced plot and thickening aura of mystery will keep intrigued despite its lack of depth and its perhaps trite emotional cues (be on the look out for Canet’s use of “With or Without You” by U2.)
Rating: 6.5
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