“Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.” – Rainer Maria Rilke
WOW. This quote that flashed across the screen to close out JOJO RABBIT literally brought me to tears. What a moving story. A true testament to the powers of compassion, acceptance, and tolerance. It explores one of the darkest periods in world history through the eyes of an innocent, yet brainwashed child; the result is equal parts humorous, tragic, hopeful, and uplifting.
Young Roman Griffin Davis gives one hell of a performance. The kid absolutely drills it. And slightly older (but not by much) co-star, Thomasin McKenzie is astonishingly brilliant as well. The chemistry between these two young stars is delightful to behold.
Taika Waititi wrote and directed this film like nobody’s business; and this is not even to mention his stellar portrayal of a satirical Hitler. Waititi, who is a Jew himself, made the decision to act as Hitler, but in the most bumbling, idiotic, and insulting fashion possible. What a flex.
By the final frame of this film, I was reminded of a quote from Jim Valvano, legendary college basketball coach and brave warrior against cancer: “If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day.” I felt all these things and more over the course of this film. I implore you, watch JOJO RABBIT, with a wide open heart and mind. I hope you might find your soul touched like I did. ❤️
Grade: A
The Run-Down on Movies 