Jojo Rabbit is a 2019 satirical comedy set in World War II about a young Nazi encountering a Jewish girl who has been hiding in his attic.
From the Festival Du Nouveau Cinéma: A satirical comedy set in World War II about Nazis doesn’t sound like an easy movie to make. Luckily, we have a brilliant filmmaker like Taika Waititi involved with such a ridiculous yet unique concept. Jojo Rabbit showcases his outstanding talent as a writer and director, and the crazy thing is that he also plays a hysterical and imaginary version of the infamous Adolf Hitler! He sure is a triple threat in terms of filmmaking and acting. After having its Montreal premiere at the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, it has become such a wickedly entertaining film that the whole audience will have a great time watching in theaters!
It stars newcomer Roman Griffin Davis in the lead role of Jojo Betzler who deeply admires the Nazis and trains at a Hitler Youth camp. He’s actually a good kid even if he strongly believes that Nazism is the right ideology to follow. One day, he finds out that there is a Jewish girl named Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie) who has been hiding in his attic, and it changes his life forever. As he’s starting to get to know her a lot better, he then has to decide whether he should still side with the Nazis or help her escape the war.
Davis delivers such a great performance as the adorable and likeable Jojo. His innocence as a kid is one of the highlights of the film, and it shines from start to finish. After starring in his feature debut, you seriously can’t wait to see what he does next in his acting career. As a fully developed character, Waititi makes sure to give him lots of depth, which also shows his skills as a remarkable screenwriter. The rest of the cast is also fantastic with supporting actors such as Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant and Alfie Allen bringing some fun and memorable scenes to the film. Sadly, Scarlett Johansson who plays Jojo’s mother Rosie is very underdeveloped, and you don’t quite get her motivation. She is undeniably important to the premise, but it feels like her backstory is rushed at times so you don’t always feel like she’s a compelling character.
What obviously stands out as the best part of the entire film is the fun humor that Waititi is known for. If you have seen his well-known comedic flicks such as What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, you know exactly what you’re in for. Even Thor: Ragnarok is quite hilarious! Jojo Rabbit is filled with quippy dialogue that you love from this filmmaker, and all the jokes are insanely well-written and surprisingly clever. The movie is exaggerated for sure, but it’s not gratuitous. World War II is a difficult setting to adapt cinematically, but the director still finds a great way to balance both the comedic and dramatic aspects that the audience will be deeply invested in.
Jojo Rabbit takes such a crazy idea for a feature into something that moviegoers will highly enjoy seeing on the big screen. This is truly a movie that deserves to be seen just for its ridiculousness and unique premise. With great performances, fantastic script and amazing direction, it is one of the most entertaining and funniest films of the year!