Jojo Rabbit (2019)

By: Mike Ward on Saturday, January 04

PG-13 Running Time: 108 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

Without a doubt, nothing you will see in 2019 compares to the bold risks taken by Jojo Rabbit.
Two standout young actors are worth the price of admission: Thomasin McKenzie and Roman Griffin Davis provide Jojo Rabbit with a heart and soul you mat not expect with the premise and set-up.
A tip of the hat to Taika Waititi, the writer/director/co-producer and co-star of the film, who somehow finds a way to take his wild idea of making Hitler’s Nazi Germany into a satire, and largely pulls it off to great success.

NO

No matter how well made, how carefully constructed this all is, Jojo Rabbit is going to rub some viewers the absolute wrong way.
Shifts dramatically in tone from one half to the next, which can cause a bit of a disruption for viewers trying to get a sense of just what Jojo Rabbit is trying to be.
How a movie can be this brave and bold on the one hand, and then fall back on lazy, antiquated stabs of humor with some of its peripheral cast is something that left me frustrated, a bit angry, and completely confused.

OUR REVIEW

What a slippery slope writer/director Taika Waititi walks, with his satirical take on Nazi Germany and the impact hate and prejudice can make on one impressionable young boy in his latest film, Jojo Rabbit.

On the one hand, a comedy about a young Nazi-supporting kid who takes guidance from his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (played by Waititi), should have us running into the room yelling “No! Nope! Not now! Not ever!” However, Waititi’s film is daring, bold, and brash, while also threading a comedic needle that somehow makes this audacious idea work, for the most part, exceptionally well.

The boy, Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis), lives with his mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson), while his father is reportedly fighting in the war. He and best friend Yorki (Archie Yates) are as into the war as kids today might be into Star Wars or the Avengers. Their interactions are largely tied to World War II themes and ideas and, near the beginning of the film, the boys are two attendees at a Hitler-sponsored youth camp with several other like-minded young boys.

Things turn badly for Jojo when a series of events lead to his being dismissed from the camp. An accident involving a grenade leaves him scarred. Showing compassion to a bunny rabbit earns him his titular nickname. And even that does not prepare him for a realization he could never have imagined: The discovery that a young Jewish girl, Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), is secretly being kept by his mother in a hidden room in their apartment.

Even as Hitler pops in and out with one-liners, witticisms, and a few lines of social commentary, Jojo Rabbit largely becomes a story driven through the prism of its two young actors.

Davis, in a memorable debut performance, and McKenzie, quickly emerging as one of the finest young actors working today, find great chemistry in their scenes together. The back-and-forth between Jojo and Elsa balances anger, fear, confusion, and delicate emotions while both wrestle with the idea of what, and who, they have discovered and what it could potentially mean if their secrets are brought to light.

If Jojo Rabbit spent a little more time between Rosie and Jojo, expounding on the mother-and-son dynamic, Waititi’s film might have reached a higher level of emotional power. Here, he is content with letting these three characters travel in circles around one another, until things reach a forewarned conclusion.

In the film’s second half, which is far less satire and amps up the dramatic stakes, Jojo is forced to begin to see the world differently. His awareness not only reduces Hitler’s presence in the film, but also heightens a greater sense of understanding that we are far more connected to each other than we are different.

Supporting turns from Sam Rockwell and Stephen Merchant also prove important, while moments with Rebel Wilson and Alfie Allen miss the mark. And don’t even get me started on a teased subplot involving Rockwell and Allen’s characters that was as unnecessary and pointless as anything on screen this year.

Author Christine Leunens, the writer of “Caging Skies,” the intensely dramatic novel Waititi adapted for Jojo Rabbit, has gone on record with being surprised that her source material was being re-drafted as a satirical comedy. A fan of the film, she embraced Waititi’s unique stamp on her work.

For some, the entire concept is simply a dealbreaker; similar to say Roberto Benigni’s 1998 film Life is Beautiful - making light of the Nazis and Adolf Hitler is simply something you just should never do. And I get that. With its heart squarely placed on its sleeves, I would argue Jojo Rabbit aims for something larger than what’s present on a surface level.

By looking at how impressionable youth can be so easily manipulated, and showing how the fermentation of prejudice and hate can take root so quickly, one of Waititi’s points is that these are not behaviors born of the soul, but ideologies and beliefs indoctrinated into us by others.

Emotionally, Jojo Rabbit hits hard in key moments. The performances from Davis and McKenzie blossom into something pretty special. Johansson’s time on screen is well spent and I applaud Jojo Rabbit for what it tries to do. That it works at all is a testament to Taika Waititi’s immense talent as a writer and director.

Overall, if the film could have better tied together a fair number of loose ends, and not been afraid of exploring all the examples of prejudice and hate it introduces, Waititi’s film could have been more beneficial and effective with the successes it actually achieves.

The message of hope, acceptance, and understanding for those different than us is a message we need seemingly more than ever. And with a core of great performances anchoring the story, Jojo Rabbit is an imperfect, but effective tale that blends all of its styles and flourishes together into a film that underscores the reality that words matter and hate, prejudice, and condemnation can take root in even the most purest of minds.

CAST & CREW

Starring: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson, Taika Waititi, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Alfie Allen, Stephen Merchant, Archie Yates.

Director: Taika Waititi
Written by: Taika Waititi
Adapted from the book “Caging Skies” by Christine Leunens
Release Date: October 18, 2019
Fox Searchlight

Without a doubt, nothing you will see in 2019 compares to the bold risks taken by Jojo Rabbit.

Two standout young actors are worth the price of admission: Thomasin McKenzie and Roman Griffin Davis provide Jojo Rabbit with a heart and soul you mat not expect with the premise and set-up.

A tip of the hat to Taika Waititi, the writer/director/co-producer and co-star of the film, who somehow finds a way to take his wild idea of making Hitler’s Nazi Germany into a satire, and largely pulls it off to great success.

No matter how well made, how carefully constructed this all is, Jojo Rabbit is going to rub some viewers the absolute wrong way.

Shifts dramatically in tone from one half to the next, which can cause a bit of a disruption for viewers trying to get a sense of just what Jojo Rabbit is trying to be.

How a movie can be this brave and bold on the one hand, and then fall back on lazy, antiquated stabs of humor with some of its peripheral cast is something that left me frustrated, a bit angry, and completely confused.