A better world

Rating: 9/10 (28 January 2020)

Taika Waititi's film (nominated for the Best Picture Oscar) is tender and cruel, bold, clever and surreal and keeps its ambitions under control. It is a satire about the Second World War. This is followed by a lonely boy from Germany whose views of the world around him change when he discovers that his mother hides a young girl of Jewish descent in their home. His fantastic friend on this journey of discovery is... Adolf Hitler.
"Jojo Rabbit" ruthlessly and brutally mocks Hitler and the Nazis, but at the same time treats the issue with respect and seriousness while maintaining a difficult balance. It's a gamble as many could go wrong, yet the film is fun, instructive and accessible to the younger and strangely beautiful. A reminder that love can dominate even in the most difficult situations.
As I watched it bring to mind Benini's masterpiece, "La vita e bella" but it doesn't reach that level. However, Taika Waititi, with a fresh look, delivers a distinctive and well-intentioned film that keeps you alert until ... the next "Thor" and basically features Griffin Davis and Tomasin McKenzie, two amazingly expressive young actors and Scarlett Johansson who never disappoints us - her nomination for an Academy Award also proves that. Sam Rokwell and Rebel Wilson give the comic touch to the film.
At a time that racism is showing up strongly in many parts of the world, "Jojo Rabbit" may be just the movie we need right now. We will laugh, we will be moved, we will not forget the past but we will certainly feel a little better for humanity.