JOJO RABBIT REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Getting the balance between comedy and drama can be a difficult challenge as the genres are very different. If a film is too serious, it can make the humour appear out of place. However, with his films, Taika Waititi manages to get the right balance. His latest feature, Jojo Rabbit, is no different. Making a comedy that is set in Nazi Germany during the Second World War was always going to be tricky, however, Waititi has succeeded and created a film that will make you cry tears of both laughter and sadness.

Jojo Rabbit is a World War II satire that follows a lonely German boy, Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis), whose world view is turned upside down when he discovers his single mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a young Jewish girl, Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), in their attic. Aided only by his idiotic imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Waititi), Jojo must confront his blind nationalism.

Prior to watching Jojo Rabbit, I didn't know what to expect as I had only seen one of Waititi's previous features, Thor: Ragnarok, which is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fortunately, Jojo Rabbit beat my expectations and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. This lead to me watching Hunt for the Wilderpeople, which Waititi directed and released in 2016, and I can now understand why he's considered one of the most creative directors. 

Jojo Rabbit feels like a Waititi film so those who enjoyed his previous features will not be disappointed. Aside from directing and portraying Hitler, Waititi produced and wrote the screenplay, which is based on Christine Leunens' novel, Caging Skies, which told the story of a young boy growing up in Nazi Germany. After reading the novel, Waititi became interested in making a feature as he felt that it was necessary to keep reminding people about the Second World War. There have been a lot of films made about World War II, however, Jojo Rabbit is a fresh take as it shows the war from the point of view of a ten-year-old boy. This is where most of the comedy comes from as Jojo believes everything the Nazis tell him. Jojo's conversations with Hitler are also amusing and it's clear Waititi is having fun with his over-the-top portrayal of Hitler.

While Jojo Rabbit works as a comedy and is very entertaining for the majority of its 108 minute runtime, it doesn't shy away from the darkest aspects of the Second World War. In his research, Waititi discovered that WWII Germany was very vibrant and fashionable, and was interested in shying away from traditional war films showing it as dreary and dark, instead presenting the town as a seemingly celebratory place and dressing characters as stylishly as possible. He liked the idea that everything seems happy, but just underneath the surface "the third Reich is crumbling, and, you know, the dream is over". The second half of Jojo Rabbit effectively shows the impact World War II had. 

While Jojo Rabbit is mostly a tongue-in-cheek comedy, there are a few tense moments, including when the Gestapo, led by Captain Deertz (Stephen Merchant), visit Jojo's house. While this is one of the most intense scenes, Waititi manages to include elements of humour, including a repetition of "Heil Hitler!". This perfectly shows that Waititi can create a scene that is both intense and funny.

For the majority of Jojo Rabbit, Jojo is certain that everything the Nazis told him about the Jews is true, however, after meeting Elsa, he soon realises that they were wrong. After he discovers the Jewish girl hiding in his attic, he's more afraid than she is. Because he doesn't want to get his mother into trouble for hiding a Jew, Jojo agrees to keep Elsa safe and asks that she reveals secrets about Jews for his book. This leads to an unlikely friendship forming between the two.

The strongest aspect of Jojo Rabbit is Davis, who leaves a lasting impression with his portrayal of the titular character. It is definitely one of the best performances I've seen from a child recently. Equally as impressive is McKenzie as Elsa who is witty and outsmarts Jojo. Waititi's portrayal of Hitler is one of the many highlights of the film. Although he doesn't have much screen time, I think that Archie Yates delivered a memorable performance as Jojo's friend, Yorki, and had a few amusing one-liners. Solid supporting roles come from Johansson as Jojo's mother, Sam Rockwell as Captain Klenzendorf, an Army officer who runs a Hitler Youth camp, Alfie Allen as Finkel, the second-in-command to Captain Klenzendorf and Rebel Wilson as Fräulein Rahm, a brutish instructor in the Hitler Youth camp.

Following its recent release in the UK, Jojo Rabbit has received two nominations at the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Davis. It's also currently nominated at the BAFTAs for six awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Waititi and Best Supporting Actress for Johansson, and I can imagine it being nominated at this year's Academy Awards. 

By combining tongue-in-cheek comedy with touching drama, Jojo Rabbit showcases Taika Waititi at his best and features an impressive lead performance from Roman Griffin Davis.

8/10