Juno (15)

3:01pm Monday 9th June 2008

YOU might expect a story about a teenage pregnancy to be mired in a sea of rows, regret and recriminations.

Instead, Jason Reitman's Juno is a warm and inviting tale of one 16-year-old's unwanted pregnancy experience.

Starring: Ellen Page,Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman. Directed by: Jason Reitman.

The story opens with Juno (Page) taking her third consecutive pregnancy test, seemingly using the twisted logic that the more assessments she takes, the greater the chance that she won't be giving birth in nine months' time.

But there's no getting away from the fact that her first-time experience with Paulie Bleeker (Cera) has produced the undesired outcome.

The innocent and frail looking 16-year-old decides to put her baby up for adoption - to a couple she considers more deserving and mature. Step up rich suburban pair Mark and Vanessa Loring, the latter's manic character providing a comical contrast to Juno's laid back persona.

I found Juno to be an engaging and witty character and one that I didn't tire of watching. She was aided by a sharp script, which was punctuated with entertaining and original phrases.

Like Knocked Up before it - which also focuses on a teenage pregnancy - Juno toes the antiabortionist line. The film does consider it, but it's quickly dismissed out of hand.

The film's other similarity with Knocked Up is that it manages to popularise and bring to a wider audience a subject which might normally be aimed at the teenage market, or filed under "C" for "Chick-Flick".

Juno is completely deserving of its recognition to date - an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and three Oscar nominations, including one for best picture.

Ultimately it's an affecting antidote to society's prejudices towards teenage pregnancies.

Rating: 8/10

The movie was supplied by Blockbuster. For more information on films, please log on to www.blockbuster.co.uk.

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