Jojo Rabbit | Film Review

Hey Guys x

I wanted to see this regardless of the Oscars, but the fact that it's been nominated for 6 Academy Awards (including Best Picture!) spurred me on to see it as soon as possible.

During World War II, 10 year old Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) regularly pledges his devotion to Hitler - his imaginary friend (Taika Waititi) and the real version. So when he discovers the secrets that his mother (Scarlett Johansson) has been keeping, Jojo begins to question his entire belief system.

This film did a complete 180 for me. At the beginning of the film, I was sceptical and really didn't think I'd like it, and by the end I was in tears, which I never expected.

The beginning of the film, for me, was a bit weird. I had no idea what the film was about (other than the very basic premise), so going into it was a bit weird. Everything felt a bit over the top and in your face. The humour was too obvious, the colours were too bright, everything was too much.

But having said that, this feeling lasted less than 15 minutes - because suddenly you're thrust into this world and you feel like you're so into it you don't even remember where you are. All you can focus on is this story and these characters.

The characters are the be-all and end-all of this story. Of course we have Jojo, who is such an amazing protagonist because Roman Griffin Davis plays this part perfectly. He has such an amazing sense of innocence about him that you completely understand the intense complexities of watching a child growing up in a world where they are forced to have the same ideologies as those around them, no matter how insane those ideologies are.

But in addition to Jojo, the other characters that completely make this story work are Rosie, Jojo's mother, played by Scarlett Johansson, and Elsa, played by Thomasin McKenzie. They are such well written, well created characters. In some ways, these characters are more important than the character of Jojo, because they affect his world in such a way that completely shapes the way the story is told. In addition, Johansson and McKenzie are perfect in these roles.

And then, there's Captain Klezendorf, played by Sam Rockwell, and imaginary Adolf Hitler, played by Taika Waititi. I mentioned these characters last because, while you wouldn't think that they were integral to the story, they are integral to the creation of Jojo because of what they represent - the other side of the fight. They are in one way or another the reason for his entire belief system, and as the film goes on, we see the way that Jojo's changing perspective changes the way that these characters are viewed.

In addition to these characters being so well written, the entirety of the film is incredibly written. It's based on a book called 'Caging Skies' by Christine Leunens, but the screenplay was written/adapted by Waititi, who also directed the film, and did both of these things incredibly well. The writing of the film completely stands out because it makes you feel things that you never would have thought about before going into it.

While the film isn't as funny as some of Waititi's other films ('Thor: Ragnarok', 'What We Do In The Shadows'), for me the level of comedy that it used worked well. I didn't laugh out loud at the moments that were obviously supposed to be funny, but the dry comedy and the over-the-top comedy seemed to be used to support the telling of this story, rather than a punch-line to alleviate moments that would otherwise have been full of drama.

But in addition to the comedy, this isn't a light laugh-a-minute film. There are dark moments, moments of deep drama, moments that make you seriously wonder what you've walked into. And for me, this is where the heart of the film lies - not in the comedy or the satire, but in the moments of drama that make you feel like you could cry for days... or at least, I did!

Overall, I really really enjoyed this movie, and would urge everyone to watch it whether you feel like it's your kind of thing or not. And I'm really happy that it's been nominated for so many awards, because it really deserves them!

7.5/10

Lou