DVD Pick of the Week: Juno

Welcome back! Well, to some of you, anyway. To the rest of you, glad you decided to stop by and I hope that this humble column helps you navigate the stacks of new releases each week. My goal is to point you toward titles of interest and warn you away from those films that seek to do nothing but leech away your time and give you nothing in return.

This week brings good titles, bad titles, classic titles, and everything in between. Rest assured that there will be something that you will want added to your queue; whether it be Oscar winners or those that are as far from Oscar material as you can get, there will be something. However, when it comes to the top spot, there really was only one choice.

Juno. This was my number three film of 2007. It is a fantastic film filled with great performances and bolstered by a great screenplay. It is the story of whip smart teen Juno who becomes pregnant, and decides to give the child up for adoption. It is a wonderful story of forced maturity, big decisions, and dealing with consequences. It also happens to be very funny, and while it may not be completely realistic, it certainly feels real. It is that feeling that above all else pushes this up the must watch list.

Lars and the Real Girl. Ryan Gosling goes from the courtroom in Fracture to a garage apartment here. This is a very sweet-natured film that focuses on a young man who is extremely introverted and is having a hard time dealing with issues of relationships following the death of his parents. To help himself, he buys a love doll whom he introduces to everyone as his living girlfriend. The town surprisingly buys in and plays along, allowing Lars to work through these issues at his own pace. It is a wonderfully acted sweet piece of movie making that is sure to put a smile on your face.

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. Very good, if overrated, thriller about a pair of brothers who stage a crime that is supposed to help them get out of debt. However, everything goes sideways and the events lead the brothers on a downward spiral that cannot end well. It features good performances from its leads: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, and Marisa Tomei. Definitely worth seeing, but not necessarily worth buying.

Article Author: Chris Beaumont

Christopher Beaumont spends much of his time writing about music and movies when he isn't indulging in them. He is always ready to talk about his favorite form of entertainment and offer up recommendations. Follow: Twitter and Tumblr. Visit: Critical Outcast. …

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