Nazi Germany during the height of World War II. You probably wouldn’t expect that setup to result in a movie that’s captivating, charming and funny, but here we are. Deco dished with the cast of Oscar hopeful “Jojo Rabbit.”
Roman Griffin Davis (as Jojo): “Nothing makes any sense anymore.”
Archie Yates (as Yorki): “Yeah, I know. It’s definitely not a good time to be a Nazi.”
Jojo’s only 10, but his life is about to be turned upside down.
He’s a member of Hitler’s youth camp and discovers his mom, played by Scarlett Johansson, is hiding a Jewish girl in the attic.
Thomasin McKenzie (as Elsa): “Say it.”
Roman Griffin Davis (as Jojo): “A Jew.”
Thomasin McKenzie (as Elsa): “Gesundheit.”
This movie is actually part comedy! It’s a satire that balances its serious, important story with emotional drama and quirky humor.
Walking that delicate tightrope didn’t scare Scar Jo one bit.
Scarlett Johansson: “This script was so fantastic. It was just an absolute gem.”
It had to be perfect to pull it off correctly!
Perfect example? You’ve got nazis who come across funny and scary like Stephen Merchant, who has a great creepy smile.
Stephen Merchant: “I’ve always been very uncomfortable smiling. What I think is a good smile is slightly creepy.”
A big reason the movie works is writer/director extraordinaire Taika Waititi — who, oh by the way, also portrays Hitler in the film. Though, this isn’t the Hitler we know from our history books.
Roman Griffin Davis (as Jojo): “I don’t think I can do this.”
Taika Waititi (as Adolf Hitler): “What?! Of course you can!”
He’s jojo’s imaginary friend.
Taika Waititi: “My version of Hitler is an idiot who can only know what a 10-year-old knows about the world. It was a verson of Jojo — sort of what he could become in the future.”
Taika happens to be Jewish, so portraying Hitler was an empowering experience.
Taika Waititi: “I looked in the mirror and realized, ‘Oh, he just looked like an idiot.’ Like, the costume does not make you look cool, and I thought, ‘Well, that actually kinda makes me feel better, that he looked stupid.'”
As for Scarlett, she can’t relate to Jojo having an imaginary friend — Hitler or otherwise.
Scarlett Johansson: “I also had a twin brother, who’s not imaginary, he’s real. Last time I checked, he’s real, so I had like a built-in playmate all the time.”
“Jojo Rabbit” opens Friday, but Deco is giving away tickets to a sneak preview this Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Regal on South Beach. Just email your name, address and phone number to giveaways@decodrive.com, and you could win.
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