Jojo Rabbit

I have wanted to see Jojo Rabbit ever since the trailer made me laugh out loud and I had the opportunity yesterday as the second half of my indie double feature.  I know that some people might be offended by this movie but I thought it was hilarious and surprisingly poignant.  Johannes "Jojo" Beltzer (Roman Griffin Davis) is a ten year old fanatical member of the Hitler Youth who suffers from low self-esteem and is often given pep talks by his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi).  After being injured at a Hitler Youth training camp, Jojo investigates noises he hears coming from the attic and discovers that his mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl named Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie).  His first thought is to turn her in to the Gestapo but realizes that his mother would be arrested for helping a Jew.  Instead, he decides to interview her so he can write a book about Jews to help the Gestapo find them.  As he gets to know Elsa, he realizes that everything he has been taught about the Jews is false and eventually risks his life to save her.  I laughed and laughed during this movie, as did the audience at my screening.  The humor is incredibly irreverent which is something I very much enjoy.  I have heard criticism about the way the Nazis have been portrayed but, in my opinion, they are bumbling and incompetent for comedic effect (it reminded me of the British comedy 'Allo 'Allo), particularly Captain Klenzendorf (Sam Rockwell) who is bitter about leading the Hitler Youth after being wounded in battle, Finkel (Alfie Allen) who is the sycophantic second-in-command to Klezendorf, Fraulein Rahm (Rebel Wilson) who is a fanatical instructor at the Hitler Youth camp and has had 18 children for Germany, and Deertz (Stephen Merchant) who is an astonishingly unobservant Gestapo agent.  To me, it is obvious that this is a satire and that these portrayals are not meant to be taken as accurate historical representations.  Jojo's version of Hitler is meant to be viewed as an imaginary friend who acts the way he needs him to.  He is initially very funny and jovial to help Jojo feel more confident but eventually becomes more menacing to help him reject the Nazis  I have also heard criticism that it does not accurately portray the dangers of war but, in my opinion, this is definitely the worldview of a child who thinks of the Nazis as heroes until he discovers the truth and becomes disillusioned by them.  Finally, I loved the relationship between Jojo and Elsa.  I especially loved it when Elsa tells him that he is not really a Nazi but a scared little boy who likes playing dress up.  The ultimate message about learning to understand your enemy is incredibly touching but it just happens to in be one of the funniest movies I've seen all year.  I highly recommend it to people who enjoy satire.