Jojo Rabbit
Trite, twee, cliched and toothless nonsense. I'm not exaggerating here; I didn't laugh ONCE.
Constant one-step-forward, two-steps-back approach to filmmaking.
+ Oh, here's a novel idea! Taika Waititi, whose previous work has shown an adeptness at fluctuating between silly comedy and heartfelt sentiment, has written the script.
- Oh wait, that script is chock-full of zero-effort puns like 'OMGott', another example of 'Nazi with a heart of gold', nonsense sentiment about how love can conquer all and how we should just accept the Holocaust because there's good days ahead, and jarring tonal shifts that aim to shock the audience into thinking this one is having its cake and eating it when actually both cakes are fucking shit.
+ Got some good actors in this one, boys, and some of them are doing a great job; Scarlett Johansson is giving a paper-thin character with all the depth of a Pringles tube lid some life and vitality, and Roman Griffin Davis is an admirable young actor with some stage presence.
- But we also have Rebel Wilson being Rebel Wilson, Sam Rockwell lazily doing Sam Rockwell schtick, and a little fat Harry Potter lookalike who simply cannot read a fucking line.
+ Off-screen context: Waititi playing Hitler is amusing because of his race and religion.
- On-screen context: Waititi's Hitler is god-fucking-awful. Unfunny, unthreatening, parodical. And sure, we might argue Hitler is deserving of ridicule (look at Springtime for Hitler!). But playing him for laughs with a charming performer (as shit as they are) threatens to make him an endearing character, so what exactly is Waititi's intention here?
Just so lazy. It's lowest-common-denominator stuff. When Doctor Who has dealt with Hitler more powerfully, you done fucked up.
Only avoids being my least-favourite 2019 Oscar film because Ford vs Ferrari is so fuckin' forgettable.
Trite, twee, cliched and toothless nonsense. I'm not exaggerating here; I didn't laugh ONCE.
Constant one-step-forward, two-steps-back approach to filmmaking.
+ Oh, here's a novel idea! Taika Waititi, whose previous work has shown an adeptness at fluctuating between silly comedy and heartfelt sentiment, has written the script.
- Oh wait, that script is chock-full of zero-effort puns like 'OMGott', another example of 'Nazi with a heart of gold', nonsense sentiment about how love can conquer all and how we should just accept the Holocaust because there's good days ahead, and jarring tonal shifts that aim to shock the audience into thinking this one is having its cake and eating it when actually both cakes are fucking shit.
+ Got some good actors in this one, boys, and some of them are doing a great job; Scarlett Johansson is giving a paper-thin character with all the depth of a Pringles tube lid some life and vitality, and Roman Griffin Davis is an admirable young actor with some stage presence.
- But we also have Rebel Wilson being Rebel Wilson, Sam Rockwell lazily doing Sam Rockwell schtick, and a little fat Harry Potter lookalike who simply cannot read a fucking line.
+ Off-screen context: Waititi playing Hitler is amusing because of his race and religion.
- On-screen context: Waititi's Hitler is god-fucking-awful. Unfunny, unthreatening, parodical. And sure, we might argue Hitler is deserving of ridicule (look at Springtime for Hitler!). But playing him for laughs with a charming performer (as shit as they are) threatens to make him an endearing character, so what exactly is Waititi's intention here?
Just so lazy. It's lowest-common-denominator stuff. When Doctor Who has dealt with Hitler more powerfully, you done fucked up.
Only avoids being my least-favourite 2019 Oscar film because Ford vs Ferrari is so fuckin' forgettable.