Jojo Rabbit

Official Australian release date: 26/12/19. Viewed: 30/12/19.

Director: Taika Waititi

Actors: Roman Griffith Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell

Genre: War / Comedy

Rating: M

  

‘Jojo Rabbit’ is the first film Taika Waititi has directed since ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ and is a much more focused film of a boy dealing with love and loss. It’s much closer in tone to the superb ‘Hunt For The Wilderpeople’. The boy this time is Johannes/“Jojo” (Griffith Davis), who is 10 in WWII Berlin and loves all things Nazi. This includes having Hitler (Waititi) as an imaginary friend. His mother, Rosie (Johansson), tolerates Jojo’s views with good humour, as she has an absent husband and a daughter that has already died.

Jojo’s world is turned upside down when he discovers his mum is hiding a 17-year-old Jewish girl in the attic. He can’t turn her in, as Jojo & Rosie would be executed too. Elsa (McKenzie) turns out to be smarter and more complicated than Jojo’s Nazi prejudices had led him to believe – some of the stories about Jews that Elsa spins are quite funny. Both the young actors are great and give the film heart.

The comedy comes mostly from Captain K (Rockwell), who has a nice arc, as well as all the funny-in-hindsight things that imaginary Hitler says. There’s some good cameos from Rebel Wilson, Alfie Allen, Stephen Merchant and Jojo’s friend Yorki (Yates). But most of this is overshadowed by the loss and devastation of WWII and the unnecessary-ness of it all. Great to hear the German versions of Beatles & Bowie.

Overall: Sometimes funny war dramedy.

Gav's Rating: 3.5 stars.