Beautiful and heartbreaking

Rating: 9/10 (27 December 2019)

"Jojo Rabbit" is a movie I wasn't particularly excited to see, but one I went to see because my cousin, a strapping young gentleman, wanted to see. And for the first half, I could tell he was enjoying it. He was laughing hard at the slapstick comedy, the silly antics of one of the silliest men alive, Adolf Hitler, and at the clever little lines that the film liked to throw at its audience. I, however, wasn't enjoying what I was seeing. I liked the concept, but the humor just wasn't clicking with me. And then, something changed.
"Jojo Rabbit" is one of my favorite films of 2019, without a doubt. At around the halfway mark, it became, for me, one of the most beautiful and hopeful, but also tragic, films I've seen. A fantastical surrealistic masterpiece, "Jojo Rabbit" isn't meant to be taken too seriously. Perhaps that's because the film takes place from the eyes of a child, but regardless, it helps if you approach this movie as more of a fantasy than a drama.
I don't want to get into plot specifics or spoilers, and that's more out of laziness because I just drank a full glass of Woodford Reserve bourbon whiskey and I'd like to play some Death Stranding before going to bed, alone. Regardless, however, I would like to talk specifically about what made this movie resonate with me personally, and why I believe it is one of the best films of the year: "Jojo Rabbit" deals with distressing topics, which is obvious given the subject matter and plot synopsis, but also with relateable topics from young love and romance to the notion that often in this life we are born one thing, and then die another based on the choices that we make along the way.
There are scenes of pure beauty that had me awestruck and feeling butterflies in my stomach. There are sequences of crippling sadness that had me gasp and hold back tears. And there are sections of the film that are so intense I was literally holding my breath, my heart racing. God, I just wish I as back in the theatre right now reliving this film. Certain scenes will be burnt into my memory for as long as I live because of how gorgeous, sensual, powerful, and inspiring they were. Other scenes will have my awake at night because of how suspenseful and scary they were to watch unfold. "Jojo Rabbit" has it all, and I cannot emphasize enough how much I loved this film.
Now no movie is perfect, and with great power comes great responsibility; this movie is no exception. There were times where I felt like the lighthearted tone was unnecessary and even inappropriate, especially during the last half of the film when certain things were going down. I didn't mind the tone in the beginning, but towards the end when things are getting very serious and intense, I thought the jokiness of certain scenes could have been left out to make the goings on more impactful. However, once I took the film as the fantasy it is meant to be, this didn't bother me too much.
Part coming of age and loss of innocence, part fantasy, and part romance, "Jojo Rabbit" is an absolutely beautiful film, and one I'm so happy I went to see. Please, my words do not, and can not, do this movie justice. Go see it.
9/10