Movie Review - Jojo Rabbit

Director: Taika Waititi
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson, Taika Waititi, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Alfie Allen, Stephen Merchant, Archie Yates, Luke Brandon Field

Description: A young boy (Roman Griffin Davis) in Hitler’s (Taika Waititi) army finds out his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their home.

Review: “Jojo Rabbit” is a film about Jojo, a 10-year-old boy, at the end of WWII. A German boy. He doesn’t know better than that Hitler is ruling and joining the Hitler jugend is just as normal to him as joining the boy scouts. As many kids his age, Jojo has an imaginary friend. But this one is a little out of the ordinary: it’s Adolf Hitler himself.
The tone is set in the opening scene, where Jojo and imaginary Hitler are practicing his ‘Sieg Heil’ until he is finally convincing. At first you think it might be a dumb juvenile joke, but it’s far from that. The film has a satirical take and it’s brilliant.
Although the film is set during WWII, the tone is light hearted. It does star a 10-year-old boy. Scarlett Johansson plays his mother Rosie, a jolly woman who is focused on doing the right thing and tying Jojo’s shoes. Captain Klenzendorf is the leader of the Hitlerjugend and almost always too drunk to notice that shots are fired. And Jews, in Jojo’s imagination they are mythical creatures with horns and telepathic powers. He has an idea of what to do when he sees one, but it never came to that. Until he meets Elsa, the young woman Jojo’s mother is hiding in their house. Elsa is a smart and pretty teenage girl and she is also very friendly. Jojo doesn’t understand any of it anymore.
This extremely ingenious story, from the book by the Flemish New Zealand Christine Leunens, offers plenty of room for strong satire. Director (and portrayer of imaginary Hitler) Taika Waititi adds to this a sharp visual symbolism and subject matter. Even with the Wes Anderson-type shots and composition this movie never wants you to think that 1944’s Germany was a place without worries. Because the actual gruesome details of the war stay in the background, you still notice they are there. And even the protective world of a 10-year-old isn’t free of the monster that’s called war. We can laugh, we even have to some times, but people are still dying and you can’t deny or flee that.
This combination of playfulness and cruelty is what makes “Jojo Rabbit” so strong in the end. And if you can’t find the humor in a young kid that, while skipping around town, greets random strangers with a stretched arm, you’d better pass on this one. But I’ve never seen a jet black comedy that was so colorful. “Jojo Rabbit” will make you laugh and cry, whether it’s because of happiness or sadness. “Jojo Rabbit” is a fantastic film, a definite favorite for me.

Rating: 5 / 5

00s Movie Review - The Other Boleyn Girl

Director: Justin Chadwick
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 115 minutes
Year: 2008
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portmann, Eric bana, Jim Sturgess, Eddie Redmayne, Juno Temple, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Rylance, Alfie Allen, Kristin Scott Thomas

Description: Two sisters (Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson) contend for the affection of King Henry VIII (Eric Bana).

Review: ”The Other Boleyn Girl” is based on the bestselling novel by Philippa Gregory and follows the sisters Anne and Mary Boleyn. Both women were love interest for Henry VIII at the beginning of the 16th century. Their love triangle cause for a lot of pain and sorrow.
The art of being a woman is to let men believe that they are in control. It’s a lesson that Anne takes on from her mother. Anne Boleyn is the woman that shook England. Henry VIII committed adultery with her. The story is well known, but in “The Other Boleyn Girl” they focus on sister Mary.
The two Boleyn sisters are complete opposites, but love each other unconditionally. It’s Natalie Portman who steals the show in this film. She is a believable ‘evil’ sister. The acting of the other cast members is okay, but not very special. The script is what makes this film so good. It’s a very well written screenplay.
The book is of course much better, but I always enjoyed watching “The Other Boleyn Girl”.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Predator

Director: Shane Black
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Thriller
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Sterling K. Brown, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, Jake Busey, Yvonne Strahovski

Description: When a young boy (Jacob Tremblay) accidentally triggers the universe's most lethal hunters' return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled scientist can prevent the end of the human race.

Review: With “The Predator”, director Shane Black tries to bring the nostalgia back to life, from the 1987 original (Fun fact: Black was actually in that film). The film is iconic, especially because of its one-liners coming from Arnold Schwarzenegger.
And they use these one-liners, but change them. Auch…. Not very clever. Then only clever choice is to copy the level of ‘macho’ from the original.
The film never gets scary or exciting. It’s a very messy film with no memorable characters, besides the Predator himself off course.
This movie wasn’t really necessary, I’ll stick with the Arnold Schwarzenegger film.

Rating: 2 / 5

Top 5 Thursday: Epic Moments from "Game of Thrones" Season 5

Because we have to wait a year for new “Game of Thrones” episodes, I decided to rewatch all the old episodes. I’m going to create a series of top fives, where I will share with you the most epic moments in every season. This week, season 5.

5. Jon Snow Gets Stabbed
Jon Snow’s fellow me of the Night’s Watch lure him into a trap, by telling him his uncle Benjen has returned. Instead he finds a cross with the word traitor on it and he is stabbed to death.

4. Sansa and Theon Escape
Sansa’s existence for the past few years has been completely miserable. Her father was killed, she was betrothed to a monster, her mother and eldest brother were murdered, she believed that her two younger brothers had been killed as wel, she was forced to marry Tyrion and when she finally and when she finally escaped she was stuck with Littlefinger. Somehow the show managed to make things even worse for Sansa, as she married Ramsay Bolton, the one character more psychotic then Joffrey. Theon, who had been tortured by Ramsay, eventually helps Sansa escape.

3. Cersei’s Walk of Shame
Cersei Lannister is a woman used to getting what she wants, regardless of the cost to others. It was Cersei who granted the High Sparrow a position of power within King’s Landing, and Cersei who delivered Loras and Margaery Tyrell to him. This time, though, things didn’t got all her own way. After being broken down to the point of confessing her sins, the next step is to atone for them in front of her people. Her head shorn and clothes stripped away, she was forced to walk the streets of King’s Landing, being verbally abused, having things thrown at her, and being completely humiliated.

2. Riding Drogon
After Jorah’s victory during the Great Games, the Sons of the Harpy launch their biggest and most direct attack yet, emerging at random within the crowds and mercilessly slaughter those in their way. The target is of course Daenerys. She is herded in the middle of Daznak’s pit, along with Tyrion, Missandei, Jorah, Daario and a handful of Unsullied. She is accepting her fate, until Drogon saves his mother.

1. The Battle of Hardhome
This was a mind-blowing action sequence. It started with Jon and Tormund attempting to negotiate with the Wildlings living at Hardhome in order to get them to The Wall. Any plans were thrown into disarray when wights attacked them and all hell broke loose.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Daenerys Meets Tyrion