Pitched to the studios as an anti-hate satirical piece about WWII in Germany, on paper, "Jojo Rabbit" shouldn't work, but it does and its endearing portrayal of a child at war with oneself and discovering his place in the world, is a win.
Trailer:
I am not sure what the original conversation was like when legendary director Taika Waititi walked into Fox Searchlight Studios to pitch his new directing endeavor, but one thing is for sure, it was not an easy sell. "Jojo Rabbit" depicts a young child bursting with nationalistic pride in Germany during WWII with his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler, guiding him throughout his tumultuous life as he prepares for war. Sells itself right? Yeah, not really.
Waititi is known for taking risks, in fact, his movies stand out with his satirical insight into the mundane. Known of course for his contributions to the Avengers Saga with "Thor: Ragnarok" and his outstanding work in Australian turned American horror comedy "What We Do In the Shadows" which depicts an "Office-Style" direction of vampires living in our everyday society, there is no denying, Waititi brings comedy to every element of his work - which is exactly what he attempted to do in "Jojo" and he pulled it off. "Jojo" while at the core is a satirical portrayal, its serious overtones are carried throughout the difficult subject matter and this is where the movie truly shines.
SPOILER ALERT - SPOILERS BELOW
Starring new-comer Roman Griffin Davis as Jojo in his break-out role, he goes off to a Nazi Youth Training Camp under the direction of Rebel Wilson, Alfie Allen and Sam Rockwell. At Youth Camp, kids learn to throw grenades, survive in trench warfare and burn books....all for your 10-15 year old children! When a grenade attempt to prove that he is brave lands him in the hospital, Jojo must return home in defeat facing the fact that he will never make it into battle. While being home, he discovers that his mother, Scarlett Johansson, has been supporting the Allied cause during the war and had been hiding a Jewish girl in their upstairs closet. At war with himself as he starts to develop feelings for the girl (Thomasin McKenzie) and with imaginary Hitler, Jojo begins coming-to-terms with what he has been taught to believe and his interactions as the War is coming to an end.
Never missing an opportunity to poke fun at the German regime - Waititi steals the screen with his outrageous depiction of Hitler through JoJo's eyes as his imaginary friend. Every time you see Waititi on the screen - the full theatre is laughing. Waititi first pitched the script without him involved, although known for making cameos in most of his films, he certainly did not expect to be cast in such a large role in Jojo. According to interviews with Watiti, Fox Searchlight agreed to make the film, if Waititi agreed to take on the part. He did and I am not sure what the film would have been like without him.
As before, I wouldn't label the entire movie as a satirical comedy, for most jokes it is followed by a somber, thoughtful scene but before dwelling too long on the piece, it diverts back to its comical avenue and finds its message. So what worked and what didn't?
What Worked?
Roman Griffin Davis and Archie Yates - both breakout performances for the two young lads who play best friends Jojo and Yorkie. Both performances have received praise for audiences and critics alike - look out for them to be popping up across movies and TV in the next five years. They earned it.
What Didn't Work?
While taking a satirical perspective and understood not to be taken seriously, there could have been some restraint or drawbacks from its Anti-Semitism portrayal - the movie seemed to have dwelled too much on this take instead of re-working other aspects of the plot line.
Where does Jojo fit in the 2020 Oscar conversation? It seems to fit in at least two major categories, Best Picture and Best Director. Coming off its debut at the Toronto Film Festival in August - "Jojo" won a highly coveted prize, The Grolsch People's Choice Award - also known as the TIFF Audience Award. What other films have won in this coveted trophy? "Green Book" (2018) and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri" (2017). Both films went on to be nominated in the Best Picture Category and both won. I would be surprised if it is not at least nominated in Best Picture category. Best Director nomination for Waititi seems like a definite for sure.
Was it worth it? Yes. What I like most about Taika Waititi is that no movie is the same, his fresh takes and perspectives are a delightful distraction away from the ordinary that we often see in film releases. His direction risk paid off. "Jojo Rabbit" was thoughtful, creative and great.
EL DE Movie Rating: 8.5/10.
And that's the sitch.
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