Damn. Juno is a magnificent film. I have been mulling over what I wanted to say about it for a few days now, mostly because of how great my experience was with this movie. I hate when you go to a movie, and leave feeling like, “well, that was okay”. When I left Juno, I felt completely entertained; I knew that I had just seen a movie that I loved. A movie that was funny, silly, sarcastic, well written, and at parts, a full blown tear jerker. All of the actors attached to this film completely excelled, and it really goes to show when you get real talent, both in writing, and in acting, together, you can make something great.
The movie itself is about Juno getting pregnant, and then deciding to give the baby up for adoption. The best, is her balls out attitude about the whole situation, where she clearly puts up the wall to mask her true pain in her decision. The exchange between Ellen Page (who plays Juno) and everyone else in the film is full of humor, but it is also filled with a sense of maturity that you probably wouldn’t see in someone her age. However, it is definitely refreshing, and completely entertaining.
I only have one small gripe with this film. As much praise as I have heard about almost every actor in this picture, I have seen very little said about the amazing performance that Jennifer Garner gave in the movie. I totally echo what my buddy Popmuse said; I am surprised that there was no praise for her, and no nomination for best supporting actress or anything. There are moments in this movie where Jennifer Garner just gives a look, and it completely speaks every layer of emotion that her character is dealing with. It is impressive. She is also responsible for me almost all out crying during this film in several points; her emotion is just so believable. That’s what acting is about, too, isn’t it? Hence, my surprise that she is barely mentioned with regards to her performance. Either way, the film is great, and I am just glad that she was able to do what she did in it; even if there are only a few of us that are truly thankful.
I think that Juno would be my number one movie of 2007; that is, if I had seen it in 2007 (we saw it this past weekend). However, I do have to say that Hot Fuzz definitely would be a direct contender, as it is no secret that I totally love that movie (it’s a personal favorite of mine); and I did see it in 2007, when it came out. Overall, Juno is exactly the type of movie that warms your heart for the wrong reasons, makes you laugh hysterically at awkward situations, and totally rips your heart out of your chest just when you start to think that you have convinced yourself that this is just a movie. Amazing movie going experience, one that deserves a full five out of five stars. I will be buying this on DVD the day it comes out, if anyone wants to come over and experience some movie greatness with me. I have a strong feeling that this movie will easily become a favorite of mine.
Rating: 
Drum roll please… we have made it to the top of my list of the 31 best CDs of 2007!! I am sure that my number one pick will not come as a surprise to those that know me, and to even those that follow this blog regularly, because I have been screaming like a school girl with excitement about 
is one of the most well crafted albums that I own, let alone discovered in 2007. From the first time I listened to this record, I was hooked by the new catchy songs like Love Song and Bottle It Up, which both serve as frustrated anthems from an artist struggling to get the music industry to just let her perform the way in which she does best. I was welcomed by fresh retakes on songs from her “demo” record, Careful Confessions, which I have been clinging to and playing on repeat, since the night I scored it for $5 at the concert I first saw her. What’s so fantastic about each and every one of those re-takes on her already amazing songs, was that she managed to make them better; which is something that I didn’t think was possible, because of how much I liked the “demo” versions. What’s even more amazing, is that songs like Vegas, which I had only been familiar with the live demo cut, quickly became one of my favorite songs from 
As I said yesterday, it was really hard to rank the number 2 and 3 spots, because both records are so wonderful, that I really love them both about the same; however, Feist’s 
does have a sliver of an edge, which makes it number 2 on my list. Feist is one of those “obscure” artists that burst onto the scene this year, with a little (okay, a LOT) help from a small company called Apple, and one of their ads for the rarely sought after iPod. With Feist’s infectious pop hit 1234 blasting on every TV commercial for the mp3 player, and her music gaining more attention because of this exposure, it is no wonder that I took notice. Even after many people had suggested that I might like Feist, I’ll admit that it still took all of those ads for me to finally listen; and I am really glad that I finally did. What I got by paying attention was a brilliant album from a truly talented artist, and a record that I have listened to incessantly ever since I got it.
I originally heard of Kate Nash through one of those random “Now!-type samplers”, where the song Foundations was included. After hearing it, I was hooked; and I knew I needed more. What I got, was an amazing CD, chock full of interestingly told stories about childhood rebellion, lovers professing, and missed love connections. Kate is one of those really rare singers that crafts these everyday stories into songs, and does so in a way that defies the conventional way of writing a chorus, refrain, and following a typical song pattern. What happens, is you get crafty songs like Birds; which is full of strangely chosen sentences and weird ways of describing love that come across as both sincere and heartwarming. While some may be off-put by this alternative method of “waxing poetic”, I think that it really shows depth and a level of interestingness that is definitely a welcome thing in today’s music scene.