Imagine a story that involves a young boy who is training to be a part of Hitler’s Youth. What if that same boy had an imaginary friend who looked a whole lot like Adolph Hitler? Well, surprisingly, you would have one of the most charmingly funny, creative and heartbreaking movies of the year. JOJO RABBIT is a revelation. A heartfelt and witty satire, one that will stay with you long after your first viewing. Written and directed by Taika Waititi, this fascinating story features excellent performances from its young cast that includes Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie and Archie Yates. As well, a few familiar faces add a ton of charm to this excellent film including Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Alfie Allen and Stephen Merchant. Oh, and Taika also plays the fanciful version of “Adolph.”
We recently had the opportunity to speak with several of the cast involved, as well as Mr. Waititi. When I sat down with this imaginative and frankly, brilliant filmmaker, he opened up about telling this particularly challenging story. What is fascinating is that if you just watch the trailer and don’t know anything about the film, you may find it a bit curious as to why Hitler seems to be such a colorful and comedic image. Taika talked about playing this character, and how he approached portraying him as something that a ten-year-old might imagine.
Next up, we spoke to Rockwell, Allen and Merchant. The three immensely talented actors discussed finding the balance and playing what can be very dark characters. Merchant opened up about the relationship between then and now, and while the film deals with a very disturbing subject matter, it certainly feels quite relevant today. As for Rockwell and Allen, the two opened up about working with Taika on this particular project and creating these characters and bringing a bit of humanity to the film.
Finally, I sat down with Roman, Thomasin and Scarlett. There is something quite charming about seeing someone like Scarlett doing interviews alongside these young and bright co-stars. The actress is absolutely lovely, and she had no qualms about giving the other two time to chat. However, she did discuss playing a mother and how that bond happened on set. And she is marvelous in the role. As for Roman and Thomasin, the two were intelligent, and entertaining to speak with. Roman discussed taking on the lead role, and his own knowledge of that time period. Thomasin discussed her role, and added a charming moment comparing it to Shrek and Donkey. The young actress opened up about how this story connects to the current time, and how she herself approached the role.
JOJO RABBIT is a marvelous film. I highly recommend checking out this uniquely inspiring feature which opens Friday at a theatre near you.