Movie Report Card: Jojo Rabbit

Date: 11/8/19
Title: Jojo Rabbit
Director: Taika Waititi
Starring: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson, Taika Waititi, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Archie Yates

GRADES

ACTING: 100
DIRECTING: 100
SCREENPLAY: 95 
EDITING: 90 
CINEMATOGRAPHY: 95
SOUNDTRACK: 90

FINAL: 95/A

COMMENTS

While sitting through the first fifteen minutes of Jojo Rabbit, I'm not going to lie, it was a bit uncomfortable. It was quite jarring, and I wasn't exactly sure how to feel, or how to take it. However, as the film progresses, everything that is going on here starts to make sense. Jojo Rabbit is a bold film, that makes bold decisions. It's masterfully crafted by Taika Waititi, and as everything unfolds, you practically feel yourself getting pulled along by him. Every performance in this is pitch perfect. Scarlett Johansson, is fantastic here. The young cast, is so, so good. This thing practically rides on all of their shoulders, and they nail it. Sam Rockwell, gives a superb, understated, funny, but important role here as well. Everyone gets what they are doing, and they understand what is trying to be said. While some elements of the story can feel a bit heavy-handed, the unconventional nature of the storytelling, helps sell it all. There are moments that are laugh-out-loud funny, and there are moments that wrecked me. Most importantly, Jojo Rabbit is extremely entertaining to watch, and because you are along for the ride, Waititi knows when to pull the strings out from under you. The film understands that what it is doing, may not be the most...conventional. However, the powerful nature of the message here, outshines everything else. Jojo Rabbit isn't just a great film, but one of the best of the year. Seek it out, and go in with an open mind. You may be a bit surprised.