Jump to content

Type keyword(s) to search

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

BetterButter

By BetterButter
in Movies

  • Reply
  • Start Topic

Recommended Posts

vavera4ka

vavera4ka

OMG it was so good!

it's a satire, a bit absurd, but it's a world from the point of view of an indoctrinated little boy who little by little gets it taken out of him by reality. The awfulness of the situation becomes even more of a gut punch when juxtaposed against this naive view. 

Casting is perfect! Everyone is amazing. How Waititi gets such amazing performances out of children - I have no idea.

One complaint: Not enough of Sam Rockwell

I wanna see it again and again. I need the DVD yesterday.

  • LOL 1
  • Love 17
frogzapper

frogzapper

On 11/2/2019 at 6:17 PM, vavera4ka said:

Casting is perfect! Everyone is amazing. How Waititi gets such amazing performances out of children - I have no idea.

One complaint: Not enough of Sam Rockwell

I wanna see it again and again. I need the DVD yesterday.

I agree with everything you said. As soon as the movie was over, I wanted to see it again! Loved the music choices too, particularly the opening and closing song choices.

And like you said, all of the characters were perfectly cast. Roman Griffin Davis who played Jojo was amazing - so much expression in his face and body language without pushing it. It's so hard to believe that was his first professional acting gig!

I can understand how this movie won't be for everyone given the sensitive subject matter, but I thought Waititi did a great job of finding the right balance between comedy & tragedy and fantasy & reality. One of my favorites movies of the year!

  • Love 10
Shannon L.

Shannon L.

On 11/3/2019 at 7:32 PM, frogzapper said:

Roman Griffin Davis who played Jojo was amazing - so much expression in his face and body language without pushing it. It's so hard to believe that was his first professional acting gig!

Wasn't he amazing? 

I just saw it this afternoon and I really liked it.  It reminded me of The Great Dictator with the comedy and satire, then the dramatic turn at the end.  Yes, some of the comedy was difficult to take, but I can't think of anything that truly crossed the line (for me, anyway). 

And can I just add that the young boy who played his friend was so cute and also a decent actor.  I just loved him.  That line about how the Japanese were their only allies and "between you and me, they don't look very Aryan" gave the whole theater what was probably the biggest laugh of the show.

  • Love 10
vavera4ka

vavera4ka

19 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

That line about how the Japanese were their only allies and "between you and me, they don't look very Aryan" gave the whole theater what was probably the biggest laugh of the show.

It always baffled me... how come nobody questioned Hitler's looks... like for real. A Polynesian Jew was a pretty good fit to play a guy who was going all in for blonde blue eyed tall broad shouldered ubermensch with chiseled cheek bones. and everyone was like... sure... seems legit.

  • Love 9
angora

angora

Wow, love, love, LOVED it. It knew just how far to push the humor and when to pull it back and go serious. Taika Waititi was so hilarious, and Roman Griffin Davis was fantastic!

I loved the opening sequence with the German version of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and the Beatlemania screams at the rallies. Such an effective way to convey the feel of what it was like to be in that time and place.

  • Love 9
kiddo82

kiddo82

Such an interesting and darkly humorous film that I don't think I can truly appreciate until I see it again.  It caught me off guard when 

Spoiler

Rosie died

although in hindsight it shouldn't have.  

Spoiler

So well done when all you see is the shoes and know instantly it's her.  And Jojo's reaction was heart breaking.

Bravo to both Roman Griffin Davis and Archie Yates who were both terrific.  Two of the best child portrayals I've seen in a long time.  Also, as much as I love Black Widow, it's nice seeing Scarlett Johansson get to do something other than stoic assassin.  She is a good actress.  Sam Rockwell was letter perfect per his usual and there was just enough Rebel Wilson where she was funny without being overkill.  Part of me wonders if Jojo never really survived the grenade blast and the whole thing is a fever dream.  There is only one scene that I can recall that isn't from his perspective.  If it was a slower time of year I could see myself going back but there is barely enough time to see what I want to see let alone see things twice.  

20 hours ago, angora said:

I loved the opening sequence with the German version of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and the Beatlemania screams at the rallies. Such an effective way to convey the feel of what it was like to be in that time and place.

Love the I Want to Hold Your Hand sequence.  So clever and chilling at the same time.

  • Love 3
vavera4ka

vavera4ka

1 hour ago, kiddo82 said:

If it was a slower time of year I could see myself going back but there is barely enough time to see what I want to see let alone see things twice.  

i may or may not have gone to see it for the second time in one week lol

and i'm not promising i won't see it again, now that it has gone wide lol

AMC A-List membership is well worth the $$ in Fall and Winter. lol 

  • Love 4
Mabinogia

Mabinogia

I just saw this last night. I want to see it again and am already planning on getting the DVD.  As has been stated, the opening sequence to "I Want to Hold Your Hand" was sheer perfection. It gave perspective to a moment in time most of us can't imagine. 

The child actors were all wonderful but OMG the kid who played JoJo was so natural and so brilliant. Love him! He managed to balance the naivete of a 10 year old with the cold heartlessness of a Nazi... until he met an actual Jew and realized they aren't horned monsters. 

I was completely blindsided at one point, but thinking back, I shouldn't have been. All the signs were there, which is the sign of brilliant writing for me. That I can be taken completely by surprise but looking back I can that it wasn't out of nowhere. 

Sam Rockwell was just wonderful. The whole cast was. I really just loved everything about this movie despite going in with some trepidation, which vanished the moment they started playing "I Want to Hold Your Hand". 

  • Love 5
vavera4ka

vavera4ka

(edited)
9 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

I just saw this last night. I want to see it again and am already planning on getting the DVD. 

I might or might not be seeing it for the 4th time this week end lol

last time i saw a movie at the theater more than once was the original Pirates of teh Caribbean.

last time i was so completely in love with a movie was.... never.

i almost pre-ordered the digital version of it since it's available. but remembering Stephen Merchant's interview about how his raison d'être was to make Sam Rockwell ruin a take so he was ad libbing to make him laugh, I decided i need a physical DVD with lots of extras lol

Edited by vavera4ka
  • Love 4
frogzapper

frogzapper

1 hour ago, Mabinogia said:

I just saw this last night. I want to see it again and am already planning on getting the DVD. 

I saw it twice in the theater (and I might have seen it a 3rd time if I didn't get strep throat! 🤒), and I loved it just as much the 2nd time!

19 minutes ago, vavera4ka said:

i almost pre-ordered the digital version of it since it's available. but remembering Stephen Merchant's interview about how his raison d'être was to make Sam Rockwell to ruin a take so he was ad libbing to make him laugh, I decided i need a physical DVD with lots of extras lol

I try not to buy many DVDs these days (don't have the space for them!), but this is one I definitely want to get! I hope there are a lot of fun extras on it!

  • Love 1
Wouldofshouldof

Wouldofshouldof

So am I right in thinking that Sam Rockwell's character knew what Rosie was doing?  And that he showed up at Jojo's house right after the gestapo did to try and mitigate whatever might happen there?  That would explain why he went along with the birthday slipup in the passport, and would certainly support the last thing he did with Jojo.

  • Like 1
  • Love 7
vavera4ka

vavera4ka

(edited)
3 hours ago, Wouldofshouldof said:

So am I right in thinking that Sam Rockwell's character knew what Rosie was doing?  And that he showed up at Jojo's house right after the gestapo did to try and mitigate whatever might happen there?  That would explain why he went along with the birthday slipup in the passport, and would certainly support the last thing he did with Jojo.

there are multiple theories floating there.

from

- "Captain K was in the resistance with Rosie and "Operation Screw Up" was deliberate screw up"

to just

-"he was disillusioned as a wounded gay officer and saw gestapo grab Rosie on the street and worried about the kid, didn't care about the cause that much any more and decided to help"

and anything in between, about his involvement in the resistance and just how Nazi he was.

Edit: he definitely knew that Rosie was either dead or about to be. When leaving Jojo's home he told him to stay home. He might have seen the hung people already, or knew that they will be hung very quickly.

Stephen Merchant's character after seeing Jews hang like bats said smth like "that reminds me, we need to get back, we left that guy hanging there".  

Edited by vavera4ka
  • Like 1
  • Love 3
kiddo82

kiddo82

(edited)

Saw this again today (A-List for the win!) and loved it just as much, if not more, the second time around.  I don't know that I'd go so far as to say Captain K was directly involved in the resistance, but he knew Rosie was and he was doing his best to run interference throughout.  The two seemed to have at least a familiarity with each other (after the grenade he remarks "His mother is going to kill me") so it's possible they have a history.  He's also very sincere in the finale sequence when he tells Jojo that Rosie was a good person.  Also, Jojo goes to him numerous times with "hypotheticals" about finding a Jewish person and K never gets suspicious or presses Jojo for more information.  Any other officer would have had the gestapo swarming.  I subscribe to the theory that he was a disillusioned soldier who wasn't actively in the resistance, but he wasn't not in the resistance.  I'm certain that he knew Rosie was dead/about to be when he showed up at the house.  And the shoes broke my heart yet again.  At least this time I was ready for it but it didn't take much of the sting out.  Roman Griffin Davis was outstanding.

I loved how Yorki just kept showing up randomly.  Like the use of Rebel Wilson, Waititi uses him juuust enough so it's funny without being annoying.  Love his unassuming nature.  The war is over so I'd better go see my Mom now.  

This is still in my top 3 with 1917 and Once Upon a Time.

Edited by kiddo82
  • Love 7
vavera4ka

vavera4ka

1 hour ago, kiddo82 said:

 

This is still in my top 3 with 1917 and Once Upon a Time.

My top 3 is this, 1917, and Parasite. 
my heart belongs to this movie though. I keep checking the DVD release date and it keeps being pushed. 
It’s back in the theaters for the pre-Oscar run. Might need to get my fix for more captain K and go see it. For the 6th time. 
not sorry. Lol

  • Love 3
thuganomics85

thuganomics85

Finally got a chance to see this.  I can definitely understand some of the mixed reactions from the critics, because they probably wanted more bite and less saccharine, but I thought it mainly worked, and Taika Waititi found a good mixture of both, along with some great humor and emotional moments.  In general, I'm really digging his style of filmmaking and humor, and how he can fit it in to all sorts of genres.

While I'm not surprised that he hasn't been getting nominations due to being young and an unknown, Roman Griffin Davis really did give a standout performance here.  He made Jojo a kid who was a product of his environment, which led him to idolizing a horrible man, but even at the beginning, you could see that there was a innocence and goodness always in him, and it was believable that he changed his ways once he met one of the "enemies", and realized everything his "friend" was telling him was a lie.  Factor in him working opposite some pretty big names and heavy-hitters and still shining, I can definitely see him going place, if he wants to continue to act.

I was also impressed by Thomasin McKenzie as Elsa, and how she played off of Jojo/Roman.  I thought she handled the character's initial (and understandable) annoyance and anger with Jojo, then how quickly it was more bemusement over his antics, and then her actually truly considering him a friend, once she saw what he really was.  Hopefully she'll continue to go places as well.

Archie Yates stole almost every scene he was in as Yorki.

As for the "bigger names", Sam Rockwell was a blast as always, and I had no idea that Alfie Allen was in it, so those two together were a great surprise.  Scarlett Johansson was fantastic and Rosie's eventual fate was heartbreaking (especially the way Waititi filmed and revealed it.)  Stephen Merchant and Rebel Wilson were fun in their roles, but it felt like both of them kind of gave up on attempting in German accents the more the film went.

As for Waititi as Hitler, he certainly was hilarious bizarre and zany as expected, but I did think he also brought some good intensity and insanity near the end, when Jojo was starting to push him away and the "real Hitler" was starting to come out.

The opening with the German cover of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" really was a perfect beginning.

I think my biggest laughs came from the "German Shepherd" confusion, Hitler saying they burn the house down and blame it on Churchill, and Hitler awkwardly leaving the dinner table during Jojo and Rosie's argument.

Glad I finally saw it and while I suspect it will go home empty-handed at the Oscars (I suspect this film will be a lot of voters second or third choice in categories, but not number one), I'm glad Waititi and company made a film like this that I don't feel like I've ever quite seen before.  I can't wait to see what that wacky man tries next!   

  • Love 7
vavera4ka

vavera4ka

(edited)

I think when it comes to oscars the likeliest category is script. 
And if everything is right with the world Taika SHOULD win it. This movie lives and dies by the masterful script and directorial work. 99 times out of a 100 a movie with such a premise is a disaster. Taika created a masterpiece. As good as other nominees are, and as large of a part a screenplay usually plays in a movie, here it’s the reason Jojo Rabbit is that good and getting all those nominations.

ETA. also from what I’ve understood based on interviews, even though it’s based on a book it’s more accurate to say it’s inspired by a book. Taika took a situation described in a dark grim story and made something very different in tone and style. 

Edited by vavera4ka
  • Love 3
sacrebleu

sacrebleu

Quote

he definitely knew that Rosie was either dead or about to be. When leaving Jojo's home he told him to stay home. He might have seen the hung people already, or knew that they will be hung very quickly.

Stephen Merchant's character after seeing Jews hang like bats said smth like "that reminds me, we need to get back, we left that guy hanging there".  

okay-- was the line "that guy hanging" or "those guys hanging" because discussing the film after seeing it this weekend. I thought it was "those guys" meaning-- they had already killed Rosie for suspicion of working for the resistance, then they went to her home to see if they could find proof. Which sounds pretty Gestapo-ish to me.

 

It was amazing-- walking that tightrope between silliness and the seriousness of the subject matter. 

 

  • Love 1
Mabinogia

Mabinogia

4 hours ago, sacrebleu said:

It was amazing-- walking that tightrope between silliness and the seriousness of the subject matter. 

This movie made me laugh and cry and scratch my head, feel sick (over the horrible way humans can treat each other) and feel such joy. It was not at all what I expected going in. I hadn't seen much about it my friend I went with just told me it was a comedy about Hitler with Taika Waititi. I LOVE TW so that was all I needed to hear. So I was truly blown away. When it hoped with the Beatles and saw Hitler running through the woods I knew I was in for a treat. 

  • Love 4
thuganomics85

thuganomics85

Definitely enjoy getting use to reading/saying Academy Award winner Taika Waititi now!

And then there is stuff like this that make me even happier for his win.  Again, I can understand why some might not care for the film.  It might be too sappy for some, the jokes didn't land for others, or maybe it was too broad in some aspects.  But it really feels like some critics actually feel offended over this film existing, and I just find it baffling compared to some of the other dreck that has been released.

Eh, whatever.  Hopefully this win will let Taika continuing being Taika, and hopefully the likes of Roman Griffin Davis and Thomasin McDavis will continue to get more roles (and maybe Scarlett Johansson will get another shot at that trophy!)

  • Love 4
angora

angora

Taika winning Best Adapted Screenplay was definitely the award I was most invested in last night, and I was thrilled for him. I also loved him doing a land acknowledgement before he presented his bit about the Governors Awards.

I think the shifting tone of this movie is so brilliant. Jojo's early "training" reads like a cross between a madcap romp and a pint-sized action hero moment because, to him, that's what he thinks it's supposed to be like. Being a Nazi is an adventure, and Hitler is his superhero, his god, and his best friend. But the second he physically sees a real life at stake (the rabbit's,) it turns dark, and that rug-pull moment keeps happening for him as he slowly realizes how much the Nazis have been lying to him.

I just love how the film and Taika portray the imaginary Hitler. He spends so much of the time buffoonish and pathetic to us, and it's absurd that Jojo is impressed by that ridiculous figure. And there's so much more going on too. Imaginary Hitler often acts childish because he's still in Jojo's head, and so he reflects Jojo's own fears and worries back at him. But there are scenes where he's genuinely scary too, especially in moments when he feels Jojo's allegiance pulling away from him. He gets possessive and petulant, but when he feels his "superiority" threatened, that's when he's at his darkest and most dangerous.

  • Love 8
vavera4ka

vavera4ka

11 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

 

Eh, whatever.  Hopefully this win will let Taika continuing being Taika,

If he didn't stop being Taika after Thor success, I doubt he ever will. Especially since he got his Oscar for HIS movie. It's quite an achievement that after directing a pop corn blockbuster he still has major indie cred and is getting rewarded for indie-ish work. In his "one for them, one for me" lineup, he got a major pat on the back for the "for me" movie.

I'm expecting Taika to become even more Taika.

I mean he goes ahead and does this right then and there

https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/oscars-2020-viral-taika-waititi-stashes-trophy-under-seat-caught-by-brie-larson-2178342

🤣

  • LOL 1
  • Love 2
bijoux

bijoux

I’d pretty much seen all the crucial scenes on YT before watching the entire thing and it didn’t detract one bit from the experience, I just loved it. And it’s just so deftly made, there isn’t one superfluous moment in the entire film or really any performance that fails short. Stephen Merchant and Alfie Allen didn’t have big roles and they both seemed to enjoy the hell out of them. Sam Rockwell is pitch perfect as always, and Rosie is such a terrific character performed beautifully by ScarJo. Having seen both this and The Marriage Story, she’d have been my pick over Dern.

I have no idea how they managed to find the kids, but they’re precious. I am massively into swastikas. 😂

  • Love 5
Grumpymonkey

Grumpymonkey

(edited)

Watched this last night, found it to be quite moving. Jojo and Yorkie were perfectly cast and I think both those kids along with Elsa really made the movie. Going into this I had assumed the older actors would have bigger parts, but the little kids really carried everything.

I'm embarrassed to say I sobbed when he saw his mother's shoes. I kept thinking I hope nothing happens to that butterfly, this kid needs a win and then BAM! That hurt. Again that kid was so good.

SR and SJ were also solid as usual and were fantastic in their moments. Glad I watched it.

Edited by Grumpymonkey
spelling
  • Love 9
rmontro

rmontro

On 9/13/2019 at 7:12 PM, Tom Holmberg said:

Got mixed reviews at the Toronto Film Festival.  Was described as "divisive."  

Divisive?  How could it be divisive?  Divisive between Nazis and people who don't like Nazis?   I didn't see anything divisive about it. 

Very good movie though, I would definitely recommend it.  I'm kind of glad I didn't go see it in the theater, because I would have been tempted to sing along with "Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand".  Made for a very upbeat opening.

  • Love 5
kiddo82

kiddo82

I watched this yet again last night.  Waititi walks such a great tightrope between the comedy, the touching moments, and moments that are uneasy.  Sometimes even combing two like Stephen Merchant being downright sinister and dryly funny at the same time.  Which, now that I think about it, his character hits a lot of the same notes as Hans Landa.  And the reveal of Rosie's fate always strikes me hard no matter how many times I see it.  I actually read a one sentence review of the movie on Letterboxd that sums it up perfectly:  "Sorry Taratino, Taika's the only director that can give me chills by filming a woman's feet."  I know the sentimental Oscar push last year was for Laura Dern but man, Johansson was so good in this movie I was hoping for the upset.  

  • Love 5
ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

Grammy Award!

59. Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
Award to the artist(s) and/or ‘in studio’ producer(s) of a majority of the tracks on the album.  In the absence of both, award to the one or two individuals proactively responsible for the concept and musical direction of the album and for the selection of artists, songs and producers, as applicable. Award also goes to appropriately credited music supervisor(s).

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
(Various Artists)
Nate Heller, compilation producer; Howard Paar, Music Supervisor

BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC
(Various Artists)
Jonathan Leahy, compilation producer

EUROVISION SONG CONTEST: THE STORY OF FIRE SAGA
(Various Artists)
Savan Kotecha, compilation producer; Becky Bentham, music supervisor

FROZEN 2
(Various Artists)
Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, Tom MacDougall & Dave Metzger, compilation producers

JOJO RABBIT - WINNER
(Various Artists)
Taika Waititi, compilation producer

  • Love 2
Danny Franks

Danny Franks

25 minutes ago, thuganomics85 said:

Wasn't aware it was nominated.  I guess that means Taika Waititi is halfway to an EGOT now!

An Emmy probably isn't too far away, but I don't think he's done any work in the theatre yet. If he does though, I'm sure it will be great.

Regarding this movie, I only saw it for the first time the other day and thought it was completely charming and funny, and able to look at incredibly serious, dark subject matter in a way that made it enjoyable. Apart from a couple of soul-crushing moments that were acted perfectly, of course.

I loved the conceit of a young boy's imaginary friend being his real life hero... only because he's grown up in Nazi Germany, that hero is Hitler. It's such a smart idea, and works to mock him every bit as effectively as The Great Dictator did. The childish, spiteful pettiness and hand-wringing of Hitler just seemed like a perfect portrayal.

The casting was great, from top to bottom. The likes of Rebel Wilson and Stephen Merchant work really well for me in small, splashy roles like this but I wouldn't watch a whole movie centred on either of them.

The two young boys are great, and the dryness of Yorki's line readings was wonderful. Both were very naturalistic performers, and I really liked Jojo's self-consciousness and stiffness with some of the things he had to say, particularly about Nathan and his increasingly hesitant exploration of the Jewish 'menace'.

Scarlett Johansson is the moral heart of the movie. She exudes decency and a businesslike determination to raise her son in the face of the Nazi horrors, but is also unable to turn her own face away and ignore it. As soon as she said that the people hanged had done "what they could" I knew she wouldn't survive. And Thomasin McKenzie is great as the almost ethereal, often spiky ghost in the attic. She really exudes an older sister energy, or 'your best friend's older sister who you have a crush on', giving Jojo's notions short shrift and subtly mocking him as she guides him towards seeing her as a human being.

I thought Captain K and his subordinate - Rockwell and Allen - were clearly lovers who had been able to avoid detection. There were several moments that showed intimacy between them, and then the very broad 'fashion icon' bit as Berlin fell. So him keeping quiet about Rosie's activities and then covering for Elsa seemed like a mutual protection thing and the last vestiges of goodness in a man who had a life before the rise of the Nazis.

There's a very Wes Anderson feel to the opening of the movie (perhaps because the camp scenes were similar to Moonrise Kingdom), but it soon becomes its own thing, with a voice that is increasingly recognisable as Taika Waititi's - irreverent and absurdist but full of heart and not afraid of being completely silly.

  • Love 8
vavera4ka

vavera4ka

On 3/15/2021 at 1:40 PM, Danny Franks said:

and then the very broad 'fashion icon' bit as Berlin fell.

in the book and in the script it was Vienna. later Taika removed all but two indicators that it's Vienna and it became just a random German speaking little town.

(the things that point towards Vienna that were left in the movie:

1. Elsa talking about how Nathan proposed on the bank of Fluss (this is what Vienna people call Wien river. it's literally river in German)

2. When they name the Gestapo "chapter" it is from Vienna.

yes i bought the script on Etzy lol)

  • Useful 1
  • Love 1

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...