Juno, written by Diablo Cody, sees a teenage girl fall pregnant and decide to give the baby up for adoption rather than have an abortion. With the support of her friends and family, she navigates the challenges of pregnancy and the impending knowledge that she will be giving up her child.
The film quickly became a cult classic and it's easy to see why. With a witty script, brilliant music and a plot that remained light and adorable whilst not overlooking the repercussions of teenage pregnancy, Juno was a fun and sweet delight with a quirky mix of comedy and sincerity.
The fantastic cast includes Ellen Page, Allison Janney, Michael Cera and J. K. Simmons.
4*
See also: the brilliant 'Tallulah' (which can be found on Netflix). Tallulah reunites actresses Ellen Page and Allison Janney and is written and directed by Sian Heder.
This is hardly a new thing (see #52FilmsByWomen) but I have set myself a goal to make a conscious effort to see more films either directed or written by women in 2017.
While I have thoroughly enjoyed numerous films by male writers and directors, the balance is still off. Of the films I saw at London Film Festival last year, some real standouts were made by women: Amma Asante's A United Kingdom, Mira Nair's Queen of Katwe and Lone Scherfig's Their Finest (written by Gaby Chiappe). Yet, their wider releases (if they were fortunate enough to get one!) came and went without much discussion.
So my plan is to watch and discuss them, plain and simple . . . and if I can't find any at the cinema then I have some DVDs to go through (see the photo!) and some options on Netflix.
My current Netflix list (UK) includes:
- 13th
- The Reluctant Fundamentalist
- Take This Waltz
- Coin Heist
If you feel like joining in or have any suggestions then feel free to tweet me at @filmvsbook.
