Jojo Rabbit (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
From the talented mind of writer/director Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Thor: Ragnarok), 'Jojo Rabbit' is a highly entertaining film that is at once humorous & poignant. Based on the book 'Caging Skies' by Christine Leunens, this movie opens in Nazi Germany circa 1945 and introduces us to the titular Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis), a tender, but lonely 10 yr. old boy who loves his eccentric mother, Rosie Betzler (Scarlett Johannson), yet yearns to be accepted by his fellow Nazi Youth members. To the contrary, Jojo is teased & bullied mercilessly. Because his father is 'away at war', Jojo turns to his buffoonish imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (director, Taika Waititi) for friendship, guidance & affirmation of his directive to hate/kill Jews.
It is easy to see why a lonely, picked-on kid is happy to be part of a 'club' that's all the boys in town revel in. And it's also easy to understand why his imaginary friend takes the form of Hitler. Not a maniacal dictator, this version of Adolf instills Jojo with confidence/assurance that he's good enough & that people like him. That way of feeling starts to turn, however, when the group of Nazi recruits, led by profane Capt. Klenzendorf (Sam Rockwell), tries to goad him into killing an innocent rabbit. He refuses, sprints away and, thus, his nickname - Jojo Rabbit - was born. Jojo's beliefs are further put to the test after Jojo meets Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), a 17 yr. old Jewish girl whom his mother has hidden from the Gestapo in a wall in their home. Eager to slay the big, bad Jew, Jojo soon warms to lovely Elsa & begins to question his own beliefs. Elsa has a profound effect on Jojo, & all the hateful lies told by the Nazis about the Jews now seem absurd to him. His own mother refuses to buy the Nazi's propaganda. And since Elsa is so beautiful & normal ... then how can what the Nazi's are saying be true?
There are many tones that must be deftly juggled throughout this Holocaust satire and, thankfully, Taika Waititi has control of them; including his own sporadic placement in the film as imaginary Hitler; as viewed through the lens of an unknowing German boy. Speaking of Jojo, 11 yr. old Roman Griffin Davis is remarkable; a breath of fresh air who embodies Jojo with a natural quality & an astuteness well beyond his age. And the bonds he develops with both Thomasin McKenize & Scarlett Johannson are both believable and ... heartbreaking. Though Scarlett Johannson's role is not large, it is pivotal. Rosie's attempts to keep her beloved son safe & loved - despite not having a father around - are palpable and, Johannson makes us feel it.
Thomasin McKenzie is quietly mesmerizing as Elsa. Her life is totally dependent upon Rosie, but also on young Jojo, who, initially, is the most likely to turn her in. His misunderstanding of Jews is perilous for her. But she slowly, slyly educates Jojo on the errors of his thinking. She is sweet, kind & determined to live. I also enjoyed Sam Rockwell's Capt. Klenzendorf, Rockwell, a Nazi officer who starts questioning his lot in life. He acts as stern mentor, then confidante to Jojo, and he goes to show how not every Nazi - perhaps - was content with their orders. Game of Throne's Alfie Allen is memorable as Rockwell's second-in-command {and assumed lover}. Adorable Archie Yates provides wonderful comic relief as Yorkie, Jojo's best real-life friend. And as mentioned above, Waititi modulates his own performance well. As Jojo changes during the proceedings, Adolf's presence is less frequent, quieter & more unraveled.
Crafts-wise, 'Jojo Rabbit' is solid, if not spectacular. The editing of various sequences - namely, the opening, which matches Nazi images with The Beatles - is brilliant. The cinematography is lovely; ditto Michael Giacchino's music. The production design is most impressive; I'm thinking of the bombed-out city. But I would say that the costumes & sound design are merely serviceable. Audiences are loving this film, but some critics don't think that a movie about the German indoctrination of young minds should contain humor. I get that. But in creating a story about Nazism through a child's perspective, Waititi lends a needed light touch to this disturbing, hate-filled time in history. And plenty of what occurs in the plot is devastating; bringing the 'funny' to a sobering, screeching halt. And despite a cheerful closing moment, Jojo must pick up the proverbial pieces & make sense of the cruel world.
It is easy to see why a lonely, picked-on kid is happy to be part of a 'club' that's all the boys in town revel in. And it's also easy to understand why his imaginary friend takes the form of Hitler. Not a maniacal dictator, this version of Adolf instills Jojo with confidence/assurance that he's good enough & that people like him. That way of feeling starts to turn, however, when the group of Nazi recruits, led by profane Capt. Klenzendorf (Sam Rockwell), tries to goad him into killing an innocent rabbit. He refuses, sprints away and, thus, his nickname - Jojo Rabbit - was born. Jojo's beliefs are further put to the test after Jojo meets Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), a 17 yr. old Jewish girl whom his mother has hidden from the Gestapo in a wall in their home. Eager to slay the big, bad Jew, Jojo soon warms to lovely Elsa & begins to question his own beliefs. Elsa has a profound effect on Jojo, & all the hateful lies told by the Nazis about the Jews now seem absurd to him. His own mother refuses to buy the Nazi's propaganda. And since Elsa is so beautiful & normal ... then how can what the Nazi's are saying be true?
There are many tones that must be deftly juggled throughout this Holocaust satire and, thankfully, Taika Waititi has control of them; including his own sporadic placement in the film as imaginary Hitler; as viewed through the lens of an unknowing German boy. Speaking of Jojo, 11 yr. old Roman Griffin Davis is remarkable; a breath of fresh air who embodies Jojo with a natural quality & an astuteness well beyond his age. And the bonds he develops with both Thomasin McKenize & Scarlett Johannson are both believable and ... heartbreaking. Though Scarlett Johannson's role is not large, it is pivotal. Rosie's attempts to keep her beloved son safe & loved - despite not having a father around - are palpable and, Johannson makes us feel it.
Thomasin McKenzie is quietly mesmerizing as Elsa. Her life is totally dependent upon Rosie, but also on young Jojo, who, initially, is the most likely to turn her in. His misunderstanding of Jews is perilous for her. But she slowly, slyly educates Jojo on the errors of his thinking. She is sweet, kind & determined to live. I also enjoyed Sam Rockwell's Capt. Klenzendorf, Rockwell, a Nazi officer who starts questioning his lot in life. He acts as stern mentor, then confidante to Jojo, and he goes to show how not every Nazi - perhaps - was content with their orders. Game of Throne's Alfie Allen is memorable as Rockwell's second-in-command {and assumed lover}. Adorable Archie Yates provides wonderful comic relief as Yorkie, Jojo's best real-life friend. And as mentioned above, Waititi modulates his own performance well. As Jojo changes during the proceedings, Adolf's presence is less frequent, quieter & more unraveled.
Crafts-wise, 'Jojo Rabbit' is solid, if not spectacular. The editing of various sequences - namely, the opening, which matches Nazi images with The Beatles - is brilliant. The cinematography is lovely; ditto Michael Giacchino's music. The production design is most impressive; I'm thinking of the bombed-out city. But I would say that the costumes & sound design are merely serviceable. Audiences are loving this film, but some critics don't think that a movie about the German indoctrination of young minds should contain humor. I get that. But in creating a story about Nazism through a child's perspective, Waititi lends a needed light touch to this disturbing, hate-filled time in history. And plenty of what occurs in the plot is devastating; bringing the 'funny' to a sobering, screeching halt. And despite a cheerful closing moment, Jojo must pick up the proverbial pieces & make sense of the cruel world.