Jojo Rabbit

Jojo Rabbit tells the story of the final days of World War II through the eyes of a child. To be specific a member of the Hitler Youth. Young 10 yar old Roman Grifin Davies is our protagonist in this story.

When the Nazis gained power the Hitler outh was one of the most insidious ways of consolidating futue power. If they hadn't started the European portion of World War II who knows how long they could have stayed with a whole generation of youth indocrinated as it was.

As with youth all over the world Davies is subject to peer pressure. He's not the most athletically inclined kid around and has a problem with the physical stuff. He has however an imaginary friend. The Fuehrer himself played by director Taika Waititi encourages him on. The title comes when the kid gets sqieamish about killing a rabbit and earns Jojo Rabbit as a title of derision.

But his mother Scarlett Johansson is a lot less enthusiastic about the Nazis and she's taken to hiding a Jewish teen Thomasin McKenzie. When the lad discovers this it puts him on the horns of a dilemma.

Part drama, part comedy, part satire, Jojo Rabbit has something to appeak to all tastes. Jojo Rabbit won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and was nominated for a flock of other Oscars inclding Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress for Scarlett Johansson.

Once viewed Jojo Rabbit is a film that will linger on.

It's WWII and Germany is losing the war. 10 year old Jojo Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis) can't tie his own shoes and has an imaginary friend in Hitler (Taika Waititi). He is starting Hitler youth training under weary war veteran Captain Klenzendorf (Sam Rockwell). He refuses to kill a rabbit and the guys ridicule him as Jojo Rabbit. One day, he finds a girl living in the wall of his late sister's room. His mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding Jewish girl Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie).

This is an inventive film. It is feel-good and heart-breaking. It has comedy and tragedy. It is an outside-the-box, brilliant film from the unusual Taika Waititi. The kid is brilliant. The best friend is funny. ScarJo is terrific. There are some big-time emotional gut punches. There are surprising turns. This is one of the year's best.

For me this film is a total paradox. I have never laughed so hard in one scene and then cried like a baby in the next. It's unique. Go watch.

The trailer for the movie had me scratching my head but as a HUGE fan of Waititi I felt I ought to give it a shot.

My best spoiler free review is that this is an original, outrageous film. The emotional gamut we are subjected to is whiplash inducing, but without the neck brace and ambulance chasing lawyers.

Every actor is perfection. Young JoJo and Yorkie are devastatingly earnest and so talented. Sam Rockwell is always a master. Every subtle satire is underwritten with a grim level of truth. The soundtrack n unexpected choice.

Go see it. Prepare yourself for quite a ride.

I thought this was bags of fun, who said that satire was a thing of the past, Jojo Rabbit prices that it is alive and well..

It's one of those films that will have you laughing one minute, crying the next, then awkwardly chuckling in the scene after that.

It's very well acted, very well made, the production values are actually very, very strong.

I saw this on its release with a few friends, it was my choice, faces were pulled at the thought of it, but everyone enjoyed, one quibbled before the film that she thought it was going to be offensive, it isn't, it's all tongue in cheek.

I look forward to seeing it again, I recommend. 8/10.