World War 2 satirical comedy Jojo Rabbit hit the Toronto film festival like the proverbial bomb. And “Satirical” is the highlighted, underlined, spotlighted word that the filmmaker and Fox Searchlight pictures wants you to pay attention to. This film is meant to be laughed with, not yelled at. And anyone that see’s the film will agree that humor and Hitler go hand in hand in this instance.
The story follows a young German boy named Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) as he works to become a Nazi soldier in hopes of getting acceptance and respect. Along for the ride in his young mind is none other than Adolf Hitler himself (Taika Waititi). He is the imaginary friend that Jojo thinks he needs. A personality spouting the ideals of what the young boy thinks he should believe, while bolstering everything he wants.
Together they move forward for the future of the Reich and the opportunity to be more a man and less a rabbit. Training to be a soldier, he must first stop by a camp that molds young minds and bodies, which is led by Captain Klenzendorf (Sam Rockwell) and his boot licking assistant Finkel (Alfie Allen). Wanting to be on the front lines and killing for the fatherland, the Captain is defined by his past mistakes and must serve his time.
Another driving force in Jojo’s life is his mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson), a positive woman that wants happiness for his son, even if she doesn’t agree with all of his ramblings. A strong woman with secrets of her own, has the opportunity to create reverberations that can affect Jojo deeply. Funny and positive in her own way, she is a breath of fresh air in a world that is slowly crumbling.
Taika Waiti delivers an amzine film filled with humor and tongue in checck antics melded with a horrible history. Even his Nazi villains all have a slight tongue-in-cheek jauntiness to them, Stephen Merchant as Captain Deerts for one. Other characters fill a role, but the main all separate themselves into positive forces for Jojo and his definition of right and wrong.
The style of the film itself feels like Wes Anderson’s created world living on the same stage as Mel Brooks. Taika’s Hitler is a humorous uptick when he hits the screen, less the all-powerful Fuhrer and more the bad childhood friend that will most likely get you into trouble. Add that to a creative and talented cast of characters that all have poise and timing and you get a fun movie that shouldn’t be taken seriously, but should be watched for what it is.