Juno: The Poll

Juno: The Poll

****
6
14%
*** 1/2
6
14%
***
12
29%
** 1/2
9
21%
**
5
12%
* 1/2
2
5%
*
1
2%
1/2 *
1
2%
0
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 42

flipp525
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Post by flipp525 »

Hahaha! This is hilarious.

Juno II
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Uri
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Post by Uri »

So, to sum it up: Juno is now the official Catholic entry while NCfOM is the Jewish one and TWBB the Protestant. I just have problem deciding which one of the other two is the Muslim one and which is the Buddhist (or the Hindu, or Shinto – you get it).
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Post by Uri »

Big Magilla wrote:I somehow doubt Jason Reitman, whose wife is Asian, is a racist.
And I'm sure some of his best friends have had an abortion.
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Post by Bog »

Oh come on...
Big Magilla
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Post by Big Magilla »

This, by the way, this is the article, which is an opinion or opt-ed piece, not the Vatican's newspaper's "official" opinion, which praises The Diving Bell and the Butterfly as well as Juno as an example of an American film that does not portray the pessimism of No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood.

Vatican City, Feb 25, 2008 / 04:01 pm (CNA).- Commenting on the latest Oscars awards, the Vatican daily L' Osservatore Romano said in an opinion column that the most awarded movies portray the image of a hopeless America.

The article, written by Gaetano Vallini, says that the awards night was dominated by two visions of evil, two instances of using images to portray evil.

"On one side, the story of perdition, described by Paul Thomas Anderson in 'There Will Be Blood,' on the other, a contemporary Western, with a modern incarnation of evil, 'No Country for Old Men,' produced by Joel and Ethan Coen," each one of them receiving eight nominations.

L'Osservatore says that, aside from the awards given to these two films, Hollywood has been dominated this year "by dark films, filled with violence but mainly with hopelessness."

The author of the column asks if this is not a "sign of the times." "Maybe,” Vallini wrote. “Since there were films capable of expressing different emotions in the running, with brave openness, like Juno, directed by Jason Reitman, which tales the story of a teenager who decided to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term, or 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly', from Julian Schnabel, a secular hymn to life despite grave disabilities."

From a movie-making perspective, the author finds “No Country for old Men” "well crafted, with a solid story line and a compelling rhythm."

However, Vallini found the Cohen brothers’ story "marked by absurd and mindless acts of violence, a world in which there is no place for old values."

"In the film, moral conscience is lacking, and perhaps deliberately, it faintly appears in the sheriff. Too little to justify so much gratuitous violence," he noted.

The film reviewer also pointed to the unbalanced portrayal of the Cohen brothers saying, "Even if in the Cohen movie there is no complacence in showing the evilness of a killer … there isn't the slightest sign of credible compassion either."

In this way, L'Osservatore says, "the American dream is obliterated, described by the directors in bold strokes, without offering any anchor for hope, no hope for the future;" unlike the original novel, "in which the author leaves some room open for hope."

Vallini says that "this clearly pessimistic view that the United States offers of itself through the movies "seems to be shared by the jury of the Academy awards, which has awarded a film that leaves no doubts about its goal, which is to show the decline of modern society, the decay of values."

"The voyage is over. So are the illusions. In short, not a very encouraging sign," he adds.

L'Osservatore, nevertheless, expresses optimism in the fact that "the 'Oscars' of the independent films, which don't have to respond to the big Hollywood producers, have awarded Juno as the best film, best original screenplay (with Ellen Page as best actress), and 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly' for best direction and photography." "In short, an award for [a film] which, going against the mainstream, tells about the beauty of life."




Edited By Big Magilla on 1204176875
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Post by Big Magilla »

I think you all know by now that I wasn't the biggest fan of this film, but neither do I think it deserves all the bashing it's getting now.

The film's pro-life stance tells us nothing about the filmmakers' personal opinions. Of course, the character had to chose not to abort or there wouldn't have been a story.

This business of seeing racism in everything is a bit much. If the hospital technician had been cast with a Caucasian the same people would be complaining that it should have been cast with an African-American or Asian or Hispanic because most of the people in those jobs today are minorities.

I somehow doubt Jason Reitman, whose wife is Asian, is a racist.




Edited By Big Magilla on 1204176848
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Post by Sonic Youth »

Uri wrote:While condemning Oscar winning films such as No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood for being filled with violence and cynicism and lacking hope, the Vatican official paper, L'Osservatore Romano, embraced Juno for being the story of a teenager who decides not to terminate an unwanted pregnancy.

And why not? It plays right into their hands. Michael Medved also called it a pro-life film.

There was lots of discussion over "Knocked Up" and how the movie dealt very little with her struggle over whether to abort or not. But why has there been no discussion about Juno's decision to have the baby, which I think is far more insidious? It's the one part of the movie that felt seriously off to me. The scenes inside the clinic were surprisingly mean, portraying everyone inside the building as creepy. (Meanwhile, although the abortion protester is a bit of a dope, you can't deny she's also kinda sweet.) If conservatives and the Vatican believe Juno's decision was made out of some deep moral introspection, they're fooling themselves. Juno hightails it out of there because she finds place and the people repulsive. It's not a moral decision. It offends her AESTHETICALLY. And Diablo and Reitman convey the rightness of Juno's choice with this aesthetic representation of the clinic. What does it all mean? Well, that remains ambiguous, doesn't it?




Edited By Sonic Youth on 1204155661
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Post by Steph2 »

Yes flipp, but the decision to cast the "judgmental bitch" as non-Caucasian IS significant. Uri is right to point that out. I'm not dogging you, I know you probably didn't mean it this way, but it's never a good idea to trot out the "white, black or purple polka dot" line when discussing race relations in the U.S. There is no equilibrium for "white and black" in terms of perception, injustice and media portrayal. And "polka dot" is a dismissal too easily utilized by white America. We have the luxury of that dismissal because we don't have the burden of race representation attached to us. And it makes it sound as if color is irrelevant which I assure you - for people of color especially - is not true.

Uri, I agree the film is problematic, but if you want to see a truly horribly conservative film regarding gender politics within a similar framework, you should see Knocked Up. Which actually a few people here thought was a film with a great screenplay! (mostly straight men) But I really shouldn't have been that shocked.
flipp525
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Post by flipp525 »

Uri wrote:And there's a bonus: there's that nasty scene, when Allison Janney is humiliating that poor ultra sound technician – is it a coincidence she happened to be the only non Caucasian character in the movie? I don't think so.

Well, she was being a judgemental bitch, black, white or purple polka dots. That was actually one of the best moments of the film (coming from one of the two best characters - Janney or Garner, that is).




Edited By flipp525 on 1204147308
"The mantle of spinsterhood was definitely in her shoulders. She was twenty five and looked it."

-Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
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Post by rain Bard »

There were other non-white characters in the movie. There was the Korean bible-thumper outside the abortion clinic with the hee-larious accent, and Michael Cera's running buddy who says he's not going to wear underwear anymore.

Why, Juno is practically an Arcadia of diversity!
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Post by Uri »

Steph2 wrote:I guess premarital sex is now OK with the Vatican? Nice to see they've at least made it to the 1900's.
What premarital sex? After they had sex (once!, and it is obvious there was no lust, only misguided experimantation) and were punished, these kids were re-virgined. It was all about innocent cuddling and playing the guitar for them, once they learned their lesson. Look through the fake hype and you'll see what a cleverly disguised piece of reactionary junk this movie is.

And there's a bonus: there's that nasty scene, when Allison Janney is humiliating that poor ultra sound technician – is it a coincidence she happened to be the only non Caucasian character in the movie? I don't think so.
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Post by Steph2 »

I guess premarital sex is now OK with the Vatican? Nice to see they've at least made it to the 1900's.
Uri
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Post by Uri »

While condemning Oscar winning films such as No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood for being filled with violence and cynicism and lacking hope, the Vatican official paper, L'Osservatore Romano, embraced Juno for being the story of a teenager who decides not to terminate an unwanted pregnancy.

Just tell me who your friends are.




Edited By Uri on 1204095022
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Post by Sabin »

The big problem with Garner's performance is that as directed by Jason Reitman, she exists in an entirely different film; whereas written by Diablo Cody, she represents (along with the eventual reconciliation between Page & Cera) the authors limited worldview. Who is this broad? Were Jason Bateman not such an effortlessly charming bastard in 'Juno' and played for full-on smarm as he was written, she would be a saint and he would be an asshole and it's in these dimensions that Cody views the world. Page, Cera, Simmons, Janney, Bateman...they all find perfect notes to utilize Cody's prose. Garner has nothing to utilize besides wan saintliness. She's the most sympathetic character in the flick and Cody has nothing to say about her.
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Post by Akash »

Thanks Hustler. Not all of us have lost our minds. :)
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