At this year’s Oscars, Juno was the ‘little film that could’, and of course debut screenwriter Diablo Cody waltzed away with best original screenplay, just as she did at the BAFTAs. But, having seen Ellen Page’s mesmerising turn in the title role, you can’t help wishing that she’d picked up an award too because, while it lacks the bombast and histrionics of Marianne Cotillard’s performance in La Vie En Rose, it seems to me it’s by far the more winning of the two. And while No Country For Old Men was undoubtedly a tour de force, it was nastier than a barrel full of rottweilers and hardly had you dancing out of the cinema.

Actually, anyone who saw Page in her debut movie Hard Candy will have marked her down as one to watch. In Juno, this assured 20 year old actress is totally convincing as the quirky 16 year old who finds herself up the duff after a one-off encounter with her nerdy boyfriend Paulie (Michael Cera). How she deals with the situation - calmly seeking out a surrogate couple to adopt the child - may not be the most realistic of storylines, but it’s clear from the word go that Juno McGuff is no ordinary kid and the world-weary lines that tumble effortlessly from her mouth are so wry and funny, you can’t help but go with it.

Sample. Friend on phone. ‘Is that you, Juno?’
Answer. ‘No, it’s Morgan Freeman.’
Which on paper may not appear hilarious, but believe me, onscreen it is.

Perhaps it’s unfair to single out Page, when the ensemble cast submits a whole series of note-perfect performances. I especially liked J.K. Simmons’ portrayal of her rumpled, heart-of-gold father, but honestly, it’s hard to pick one name over another when they’re all so assured. Cody’s script picks its way effortlessly through a potential minefield of clichés, guided by Jason Reitman’s confident direction and the film emerges as a heart-warming, life-affirming winner that will grab all but the most cynical of viewers by the collar and drag them in. Highly recommended.