A Master Class in Aspirational Moviemaking

Rating: 9/10 (27 April 2020)

Pairing a preteen Nazi with imaginary best pal Adolf Hitler sounds like egregious cinematic overreach, but the wonderful "Jojo Rabbit" proves as improbably enthralling as moviemaking can get.
Set in the wind-down of World War II, we follow the youthful zealotry of Johannes "Jojo Rabbit" Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis), a lad infatuated with Nazi iconography. To bolster his machismo in the pursuit of influence, he feeds his head propaganda, and instructs it to supplant his departed father with das FÃ¼hrer.
Sharing this plot line at the water cooler elicits very real bafflement. Yet Taika Waititi's film is as tender as it is tack-sharp. "Jojo Rabbit" takes fascism to the woodshed and holds a mirror to its inane pervasiveness. - (Was this review of use to you? If so, let me know by clicking "Helpful." Cheers!) WATCHED IT? THEN WATCHLIST: "Blazing Saddles (1974)," "Stadium Anthems (2018)," "Knives Out (2019)."