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Why Jojo Rabbit should win the best picture Oscar

Critics are divided on this whimsical satire about the Hitler Youth but ultimately it’s an uplifting movie about love trumping hate

Only the most die-hard Taika Waititi fan would think that Jojo Rabbit is anything but a plucky outsider when it comes to the best picture race. Comedy notoriously doesn’t do well at the Oscars but a whimsical satire about a fanatical Nazi-loving 10-year-old whose imaginary best friend is a stroppy Adolf Hitler? Well, it’s hard to imagine that going down comfortably with Academy voters who tend to be risk averse and much prefer to stick with worthy prestige dramas.

But people love an underdog and Jojo Rabbit is far from an obvious choice for this category. Raising laughs from such a gruesome period of history is a tricky – and not to mention downright risky – tightrope to walk, but the New Zealand film-maker takes to it with acrobatic skill and poise; applying his distinctive wit to a big-hearted and ultimately uplifting tale about family, acceptance and how ludicrous racism is.

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from Culture | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2REC2wr
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