Jojo Rabbit
2019
****½
Director: Taika Waititi
Cast: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Taika Waititi, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant, Alfie Allen, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, Archie Yates
Towards the end of World War II, the timid 10-year-old Johannes "Jojo" Betzler remains a devout Nazi. His dedication to the cause begins to crumble when he befriends a Jewish girl his mother is hiding in the attic, which doesn't make his imaginary friend Adolf Hitler very happy. A dark comedy about the Third Reich does not sound like an easy proposition, but somehow Taika Waititi pulls it off. Like La vita è bella, the film finds an awkward but just about perfect balance between the laughs and cries. The performances are all excellent. Waititi's Academy Award winning screenplay is loosely based on Caging Skies by Christine Leunens.
