A Charming Coming of Age Story

Rating: 8/10 (23 December 2019)

Jojo Rabbit is a film about a ten year old Nazi sympathizer befriending a Jewish girl, after finding her hiding in his house. Jojo is tasked with learning the meaning of friendship and family, while fluctuating between childhood and a premature adulthood. Jojo Rabbit is based on the book, Caging Skies by Christine Leunens. The film stars Roman Griffin Davis as Jojo, Scarlett Johansson as Jojo's mother, Thomasin Mackenzie as Elsa, the Jewish girl Jojo meets, and Sam Rockwell and Rebel Wilson as Jojo's Nazi superiors. The film is directed by Taika Waititi, who also portrays Jojo's imaginary manifestation of Hitler. The film successfully fluctuates between comedy and drama. The tone of the film is perfect.
The acting in this film is fantastic. The brightest star in the film is Scarlett Johansson. Her portrayal of Jojo's mother is wondrous. Jojo's mother is a cinematically special character whose wisdom is akin to Mr. Miyagi from Karate Kid. Jojo's mother nurtures the movie and adds serious dialogue where it is needed. She serves as the voice of reason within the film. Her relationship with Jojo is beautifully written, and poetic. Scarlett Johansson was perfect for the role. Roman Griffin Davis does an excellent job in portraying Jojo. He is a curious kid who does not fully have a grasp of his reality. Jojo's character development is well written, as it toys with the juxtaposition of childhood and adulthood. Initially, Jojo's circumstance is that of a child, but he feels that he's an adult. As life changing events occur within the film, Jojo's character is tasked with circumstances of adulthood, while Jojo realizes that he is a child lost in the middle of war. Jojo's character development is brilliant. The rest of the cast is great as well. Sam Rockwell's portrayal of Captain Klenzendorf is another bright spot. His German accent is spot on. Despite Captain Klenzendorf's heinous crimes as a Nazi soldier, he is still presented with a sense of humanity. He serves as a father figure for Jojo. His love for Jojo is real, and it adds to the heart of the film. Generally, the casting was amazing.
The writing within this film is really good. As the story progresses, it shifts from a family comedy into a family Drama. Jojo's struggle between his humanity, social awareness, and support for the Nazi party is the primary conflict. Jojo's friendship with Elsa progresses really well throughout the film. Jojo is a child filled with hate. As he grows within the film, he becomes stricken with love. The film accurately portrays the decline of Nazi Germany, in lieu of World War 2 and their heinous crimes against humanity.
The direction of the film is great. Taika Waititi is a master of comedy. Foremost, his portrayal of Hitler is humorous in the sense of parody. He portrays the Nazi party as weak idiots throughout the film, as opposed to portraying them as mighty protagonists. Taika's portrayal of Hitler is lead by hilarious one-liners. Despite Nazi's being his protagonists, he captures their true nature as human garbage. Cinematically, the film is good. There's nothing groundbreaking about the cinematography. The callbacks to previous scenes is great. The film's set pieces are well done, and the grim colorization is useful in conveying the absence of freedom within Nazi Germany. There's one particular scene that is well shot and unforgettable. Jojo chases a blue butterfly, leading into a shocking reveal. The music within the film is good. The German dub of certain songs is really cool. The film's biggest flaw comes from not knowing who its audience is. Jojo is a child protagonist suitable for a rated PG or G film. His environment is incredibly graphic and borderline R Rated. At times the film feels too child-like, or too adult oriented.
Overall, Jojo Rabbit is a great movie that is very charming, fun, and emotional. It's a great coming of age story that successful captures the innocence of childhood, while juxtaposing the harsh realities of adulthood.