Jojo Rabbit is a nice 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Taika Waititi, who also plays Hitler in the film. This director became better-known because of his work in Thor: Ragnarok, a movie that highlighted not only his colorful style but also his love for making comedies, something he is very successful at.
I watched this film yesterday, being one of the few Oscar films that I hadn't watched and I was pleasantly surprised by the heart of this movie, it's not only funny but also very hopeful and sweet, something we need more of these days.
Jojo Rabbit is about Jojo, a kid that lives in Nazi Germany and who has been indoctrinated to believe in the Nazi regime. He is very devoted to the cause, as much as a child can be, and even goes as far as to have an imaginary Hitler friend, who advises him on the things he should do to be a proper nazi. One day he discovers a girl that has been hiding in the attack his house, she is a jew and his mother had been hiding without telling him.
These two children become friends, the girl, who is older, teaching him that jews aren't the monsters he was lead to believe they were, and little by little, realizing that he has been taught only prejudice and should strive for change.
I want to congratulate Scarlett Johansson for having such a successful year in 2019, having 2 roles that got nominated for an academy award (the other one being in A Marriage Story), she is wonderful here, as a fun and loving mother. The two children were also amazing in this film, having to carry most of it and with amazing chemistry, the young actors Thomasin McKenzie and Roman Griffin Davis truly have a great career ahead of them.
I had never seen a WWII film that was told in such a fun way since it's a sensitive topic, perhaps the only other example I could think of is Life is Beautiful. But what is truly innovative is that it's told from the perspective of a german child that has been indoctrinated to fully believe in the Nazi cause, yet it is told in such a fun manner.
Jojo Rabbit is one of the best films of 2019, it's fun yet touching and full of heart.
This is a film about the importance of accepting and understanding each other. It's a beautiful movie that you can even watch with your children as long as they are old enough to understand what WWII is.
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