Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Rating: 8/10 (20 October 2019)

Before Thor: Ragnarok, there was What We Do In The Shadows. A very funny and wonderfully written mockumentary following the lives of a group of vampires. Thor: Ragnarok was definitely the best Thor film and is one of the more entertaining additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I know we would have quality and good humor from Taika Waititi's newest film and was hyped for it. A comedic take on Nazis and an imaginary Hitler? Count me in. I ended up liking this more than I thought I would especially in the third act.
The film is about a young German boy living in Nazi Germany. He talks to his imaginary friend, an eccentric Adolf Hitler and wants to learn how to become tougher. He discovers that his mother is actually anti-Nazi and is hiding a teenage Jewish girl in a secret wall of their house. Initially, Jojo (the main character) is resistant to her because of the Nazi philosophy he has been taught but soon he becomes compassionate towards her and even loves her. However, her livelihood is at stake especially at a time where the Gestapo actively search for hidden Jews.
I'd love to praise the performances in this film. I think all around there is excellence. Each character works in their dramatic and comedic element. The film is funny as I thought it would be. Waititi has proven to be excellent in penning humorous work. However, what shocked me most was the level of emotion and humanity that the film deals with, and its done so well. Its a tough line that the film has to balance itself on. Its subject matter involves the darkest time in human history and yet the film takes a comedic approach to it and to one of the vilest figures in history, Hitler. This is no easy task, but Waititi does it and brings the quality.
I liked this a lot more than I thought it would and felt like the relationship between Jojo and Elsa was just so beautiful. The humor is at times dark but always witty and I just found it to be a joy to laugh along with it. I'm glad I went out of my way to see this as I think its a memorable effort and one that I can't wait to look back on. Its a film that deals with balancing emotions and its just done well.
7.5/10