[LSPoorEeyorick]

Of Juno: the reviewers' reviews are very apt; the opening act involves line after line of precocious dialogue that, while clever and amusing, doesn't quite ring honest. (Not that I hated it, mind you. I like my share of clever dialogue.) But as the film began to open up, it deepened and became very satisfying. I cried - and not just because conception problems hits a nerve, but also because the several sweet and honest performances did.

Ellen Page, the titular pregnant teenager, gives a terrific portrayal of a cocksure (vulvasure?) youth whose know-it-all morphs into knows-it-less. Michael Cera is her confused best friend who impregnated her; he gives the sweetest delivery of my favorite line in quite awhile. J. Jonah Jameson and Allison Janney seem very much like real (and loving) parents. Jennifer Garner surprised me with a terrific ice-queen-melting performance as the potential adoptive mother, and Jason Bateman nails the role of her husband. It was like everyone knew exactly who their characters were and what they wanted and how they hurt and why.

The screenplay (by the much buzzed-about "stripper," Diablo Cody-- who, as I've gathered, has successfully invented herself in the way she imagines would be buzzworthy, since she started stripping AFTER she was already working in writing/advertising) other than the flaws I talked about earlier, is strong and took the story to places that I thought were kind of surprising (in their, you know, realness. This is Hollywood, after all, and who expects an emotion or a plot point to ring true?) The soundtrack is great and I'm planning to purchase it. The directing continues to show that the younger Reitman has real potential.

Of Atonement: I really regret not reading it first. I suspect it's the better of the two. Nevertheless, the first "movement" of the film completely involved me and was surprisingly funny. Performances very good all around, particularly those of the younger sister (Briony) at her various ages. Keira Knightley was as Keira Knightley is, but her scenes with James MacEvoy were quite good. I tend to think she (like Natalie Portman, her Star Wars doppelganger) reflects the talent around her, and when it's good, she is too. And James MacEvoy - he has absolute star quality and I look forward to seeing him performing for the rest of his life (and mine. I hope.) Side note, if you still haven't seen The Last King of Scotland, you're missing out.

The film lost me a little during the war years, as I'm sad to admit that "mid-film war periods" tend to do. (That, I think, is my personal problem, not the film's.) There was a hell of a tracking shot that swept me back in, though - and really gave a perspective on the soldiers' lives that I appreciated. The direction was strong, and I suspect it had a fair bit to do with the very, very interesting soundtrack (which is already on my iTunes.) The soundtrack, in retrospect, is a very clever nod to the plot. From what I have gathered, it's a hard novel to adapt, but I thought the use of time flow, repetition, and the concept of truth in storytelling, was quite good. Worth seeing, particularly for the very strong first act. But (though I haven't yet) I'd advise you to read the book first.