Counting the Ways
Book
Grace Barnes, living in her subterranean one-room flat at the nether end of Earl's Court, feels out...
Billy and Me
Book
**ZOELLA BOOK CLUB 2016 TITLE** A gorgeously romantic novel about fame, friendship and falling in...
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Jojo Rabbit (2019) in Movies
Jun 21, 2020
The subject of Nazis and Hitler is a touchy one to say the least, but it's also a subject that is ripe for satire, and one of the many aspects that stands out here, is how Taika Waititi has managed to craft a film that is absolutely hilarious, but never undermines how horrible this part of history was.
I laughed (a lot) before being slapped with a reminder of how bleak war is.
The main plot revolves around Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis), a 10 year old boy who looks up to Hitler, and is part of the Nazi Youth. He finds out that his mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl, Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie) in the attic of their house. Initially hostile, they begin to form a friendship as the Nazi regime begins to crumble.
Underneath all the goofiness, this main narrative is radiating in both warmth and sadness. I legit had a bit of a cry at one point.
The cast are brilliant. Roman Griffin Davis is one of the most likable protagonists in recent memory. His innocence and blind devotion to the war is humorous, and weirdly sweet. Thomasin McKenzie is great alongside him as well.
As well as directing, Taika Waititi also plays a version of Hitler, sort of like Jojo's imaginary friend, and he's honestly just the best, and provides the majority of the films comedy.
Elsewhere, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Alfie Allen, and Stephen Merchant all make up a pretty rock solid cast.
Screw it, I even liked Rebel Wilson (she usually makes me want to play in traffic.)
Jojo Rabbit is a truly wonderful experience. It evokes a whole range of emotions effortlessly, looks incredible throughout, and deserves all the praise thrown it's way.
From Deptford to Antarctica
Book
Pete Wilkinson grew up in Deptford, south London, in the 50s. Somehow he got to grammar school and...
The Notorious Mrs. Clem: Murder and Money in the Gilded Age
Book
In September 1868, the remains of Jacob and Nancy Jane Young were found lying near the banks of...
A Rage for Order: The Middle East in Turmoil, from Tahrir Square to Isis
Book
In 2011, a wave of revolution spread through the Middle East as protesters demanded an end to...
Batik, Traditional Textiles of Indonesia: From the Rudolf Smend & Donald Harper Collections
Rudolf Smend and Donald Harper
Book
Batik occupies a special place in Indonesian culture. Each fabric has a rich story to tell--as a...
Entangled Histories: Knowledge, Authority, and Jewish Culture in the Thirteenth Century
Ruth Mazo Karras, Elisheva Baumgarten and Katelyn Mesler
Book
From Halakhic innovation to blood libels, from the establishment of new mendicant orders to the...
Folkestone in the Great War
Book
Folkestone became one of the most important British towns during the First World War. Through its...
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Synchronic (2019) in Movies
Mar 2, 2021
Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan star as a pair of first responder paramedics based in Louisiana and both of them do a great job in carrying the film. Without giving too many plot details away, there are points in the movie where both have to show fairly intense levels of grief and I feel that both do this very well in how they choose to portray that respectively. Jamie Dornan’s accent does slip a few times, but he is charismatic enough that he can get away with it.
The movie is directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead and this is actually the first project that I’ve seen from either of them. The direction throughout the film is brilliant and has a real cohesion with the cinematography and the script, – this is probably because the script was written by Justin Benson and shot by Aaron Moorhead.
The script is an interesting one and the distinctiveness of it means that the film probably couldn’t have been directed by anyone else other than the person who wrote it. The dialogue throughout the movie is well written and I really believed the history and friendship in Mackie’s and Dornan’s relationship. There is also some humour interjected in the dialogue and surprisingly it lands and helps to alleviate some of the perpetual dread that is intertwined in the movie’s plot.
Read the rest of my review at: https://www.bigglasgowcomicpage.com/2021/02/13/review-synchronic/