Despite some disappointment, a solid feel-good film

Rating: 8/10 (31 March 2020)

"Jojo Rabbit" was definitely one of the most talked about movies of 2019. It follows a young Hitler Youth member in the last months of World War II. Roman Griffin Davis makes an excellent performance as the film's title character, he does with so much heart and charm that I don't think anyone can't be touched by him. He also portrays little Jojo with conflicted feelings, as he's torn between his mother's (Johansson) efforts to hide a young Jewish girl (McKenzie) and his dreams of fighting for his nation, in a masterful way, many adult actors only could dream of. "Jojo Rabbit" has its ups and downs, director Waititi is funny as Jojo's imaginary friend version of the Führer himself, and the interactions between Jojo and Yorki (Yates) are often hilarious. The downs are also a few unfortunately. First of all, quite superficial - but still, the accents are unbearable. I get it, they wanted to be genuine but it fell short. Secondly, my main issue, the emotional impact of the film's events on the characters are not big enough. Halfway in, Jojo's mother is killed, and besides, Elsa doesn't ever know if her family is alive at all. "Jojo Rabbit" misses opportunities to hit its audience with an emotional blast, instead settling way to quickly for feel-good moments and quirky jokes. Nonetheless, Waititi's WW2 dramedy is filled with heartwarming moments and a very nice, hopeful ending, although it could have been a bit more attached to the - honestly - traumatic events the unlikely duo had been through.