Jojo Rabbit
What if you woke up one day and the world as you knew it was wrong? What if everything you had been taught and believed in wasn't actually true? It can be rather jarring to imagine and yet it is, essentially, what is at the core of Jojo Rabbit. Taika Waititi's World War 2 film centers around 10 year old Jojo, a young German boy who is obsessed with being a Nazi and whose imaginary friend is Hitler. When he discovers that his mother is hiding a Jewish teenage girl in their house his world is turned upside down and he must navigate his way through a new reality while questioning his own foundation and beliefs. It is a story about Nazi Germany but more than that it is about the loss of the innocence of youth. It's about deciding what is right and wrong in a world that, for Jojo, is full of the kind of wrong he is only just beginning to understand. Jojo Rabbit is the kind of movie that has you laughing out loud before it turns a corner and slaps you in the face with the harsh reality of war and the cruel effect Hitler had on the world.
Waititi directs from a script he wrote in both over the top and subtle ways that seamlessly merge to capture the mind of a 10 year old. His script is hysterical and the sharp, witty dialogue and mocking, tongue in cheek portrayal of Nazi leaders is brilliant. He also captures that moment in youth when things shift from black and white to shades of grey and when you start to realize that life is bigger than your own four walls. Waititi is able to do this successfully in large part to the talent of Roman Griffin Davis, who plays Jojo. He has both an innocent charm and curious nature to him without coming across as an annoying child actor. His comedic timing is spot on and his delivery is so good that you almost can't believe he is actually 10 years old.
World War 2 movies are more often than not heavy and hard to watch and yet, with Jojo Rabbit, Waititi has managed to create a war time film that is both comical and somber. It is moving and affecting and manages to portray both the best and worst of humanity all at once.