Though I didn't necessary see the Oscar quality in a little film called Juno, I certainly enjoyed it well enough. Michael Cera stands out in his modest role. He also stands out in Superbad, a raunchy film with deep laughs. Expecting something in between, I eagerly screened "Nick & Norah."

N&N goes for the tone of Juno, but never quite finds the heart, nor does it enjoy the edgy sense of humor of "Superbad" -- though it tries. Yes, there are moments, a few very sweet awkward and a small amount of spark-alive funny moments, but there's simply a lot of trying in between. On the whole, the film feels like a student piece. That's not always bad, there are some great student works out there.

Also, despite my lack of enthusiasm for the film on the whole, I was impressed with Michael Cera's performance. I look forward to his future productions, even if he doesn't step outside his comfort zone of awkwardness. Might he become a subtle master of the screen like Sam Rockwell? (If you don't know who Sam Rockwell is, check out Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, I highly recommend a look see.)

Oh, and while I didn't love this little picture, it must be noted, I'm not exactly the film's target crowd, which would probably be teens and twenty-somethings.

-- Book by Author/Illustrator Ross Anthony --