Directed by:
Taika WaititiScreenplay:
Taika WaititiCinematography:
Mihai Malaimare Jr.Composer:
Michael GiacchinoCast:
Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson, Taika Waititi, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Alfie Allen, Stephen Merchant, Archie Yates (more)VOD (3)
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A World War II satire that follows a lonely German boy whose world view is turned upside down when he discovers his single mother is hiding a young Jewish girl in their attic. Aided only by his idiotic imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler, Jojo must confront his blind nationalism. (Fox Searchlight Pictures US)
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Reviews (16)
Ten-year-old Jojo and his imaginary friend Adolf would do anything for Germany. But when the little hero discovers that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl at home, everything changes. Taika Waititi directs a visually very imaginative film that alternates poignant and harsh moments with humorous ones, and Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell give some of the best performances of their careers.
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An original, witty, socially complex and mostly quite funny to the point of insane war satire that oscillates somewhere between Life is Beautiful and No Man’s Land. Though it borrows almost nothing from either, it feels at times like a mature wine that's been with us for a few years and you just know what you're in for when you watch it. Waititi proves that he can apply his talent for funny scripts not only in big blockbusters from Marvel, but equally in low-budget war comedies. Without a stronger pace or truly unforgettable scenes, but still very positive, with an emphasis on traditional human values. You won’t need to watch it again, but at least once is a must.
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I was looking forward to Jojo Rabbit for a long time, especially since it’s made by a director whose every film in recent years I totally loved and I only wish him happiness. Moreover, he chose the Czech Republic as the filming location, and the resulting film was nominated with an Academy Award for the best feature film. I understand that the competition is tough so Jojo Rabbit will probably not win, but it’s still a nice promotion for our little country. A war satire is a very visible topic, and when it’s well-made it’s hard to forget. And Taika Waititi did a great job, even though I expected a bit more humor. In places I didn’t know whether it was satire or fantasies of the main character Jojo, perfectly portrayed by Roman Griffin Davis. Taika Waititi is very good in guiding actors in general. And him guiding himself as Hitler is the funniest part of the whole film. In the second half, however, you’ll meet with more serious scenes, which show that even though Jojo perceives the fascists the way he does, it is still war and it’s not exactly fun. A well-done satire, but it’d be even better with more humor. It still has one unique feature, though – the most likable Nazi everplayed by Sam Rockwell. I haven’t seen such a well-written character in a while.
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So much of a different movie than I'm used to seeing in the cinema that it made my head spin a little. However, that uniqueness is at the same time so likable that I forgive the over-the-top humor in the scenes where it wasn't particularly necessary. Just a moment later, a nearly brilliantly timed gag might come, or Taika Waititi might unexpectedly deliver a punch below the belt, for which a viewer in the right emotional state will still thank him.
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I admire Waititi and I really wanted to like JoJo Rabbit, and although I’m sincerely happy that it brought him an Oscar for the screenplay, I can’t avoid being disappointed. The film does have strong and excellent moments (the introduction of the characters, the Gestapo inspection and the entire relationship between Johansen and Elsa) and shines with a distinctive “happysad” signature and the wonderfully directed actors, who couldn’t be any more natural, in particular the child protagonists. Unfortunately, there are many scenes and filmmaking decisions that have a degrading effect – I love Waititi’s comedy, but his line with the imaginary Hitler is quite pointless and unoriginal; but this is the smaller problem. For me, the main shortcoming is the imbalance between the communication and the staging; for instance, the funniest part is suddenly cut off by a scene like out of Schindler’s List, which doesn’t fit in a film where the Nazis are funny caricatures. Likewise with the ending, where scenes of death and war are weirdly combined with parodic snippets – and better not talk about how some of the twists are left unresolved (they let two kids live alone in a big house and nobody cares about them?). I get that this is supposed to be the perspective of a little boy and I really enjoyed his development and varied opinions, but that perspective is not coherent and the secondary characters lack the appropriate educational value (with the exception of the mother, who’s dealt with in a pretty arguable way). All that notwithstanding, this is far from a bad film and Taika manages to transmit his simple ideas in an original and funny way. It’s a shame that they didn’t go for a more uncompromising framework and instead resorted to dodgy and kitschy motives that not even Hollywood studio conventions of can justify. 70%
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