EL SEGUNDO HERALD October 17, 2019 Page 11
Entertainment and bar space; 2,085 square feet of meeting
Film Review
Anti-Hate Satire Jojo Rabbit is
Undeniably Brilliant
By Morgan Rojas for cinemacy.com
If I were to tell you that a story about a young,
aspiring Nazi whose deepest desire is to fight
for Germany on the front lines during WWII
could be funny, would you believe me? It’s
understandable for one to assume that it would
be impossible to find humor in this plotline,
but leave it to Taika Waititi to portray Hilter
as hilarious in the colorfully off-color satire, Jojo
Rabbit, in theaters this Friday.
Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) is, on one hand,
a typical 10-year-old boy. He’s susceptible to
propaganda and peer pressure – specifically
that which supports the war. He also does his
best to take care of his single mother, Rosie
Jojo Rabbit, Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
(Scarlett Johansson). But, on the other hand,
Jojo is also a lonely empath with an imaginary
friend who just so happens to be Adolf Hitler
(Taiki Waititi). Jojo’s Hitler plays both devil
and devil’s advocate. Whether it’s encouraging
Jojo to participate in wild acts or teaching him
how to “properly” annunciate “Heil Hitler,” this
imaginary sidekick is obviously not a great
influence on young Jojo. When Jojo unexpectedly
discovers that his mother has been
hiding a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie)
in their home, his allegiance to the Nazi party
holds strong and he threatens to turn her in.
But Jojo quickly discovers that, despite being
brainwashed into believing that all Jews are evil,
he is starting to fall in love with the Jewish
girl in the attic--something of which both the
real and imaginary Hitler would disapprove.
Waititi, who himself grew up a Maori Jew,
plays Hitler as a caricature -- a larger than life
goof with narcissistic tendencies who is mesmerizing
to watch on screen. Roman Griffin Davis,
in his first-ever film role, should be praised for
multiple scene-stealing performances while
going head-to-head with some of today’s top
comedic talent. Davis’’co-stars include Johansson,
Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Alfie Allen
and Stephen Merchant. All are distinguishable
talents who make the film memorable.
Jojo Rabbit is based on Christine Leunens’
novel Caging Skies, and the script is full of
powerful one-liners and sharpshooting dialogue.
However, the strongest accomplishment of
the narrative is the amount of call back jokes
that come full circle for complete satisfaction.
The seeds that were planted at the beginning
of the story are slowly watered throughout the
film, and seeing them bloom in the third act
is a reminder of how strategic and methodical
the script actually is. Jojo Rabbit is like
watching a game of chess and the final scene
is its checkmate.
Aside from the provocative jokes, nestled just
beneath the surface, this is a story about tolerance
and acceptance. There are plenty of moments
that are unexpectedly heartfelt and emotional. It
strikes a perfect balance between silliness and
solemnity to create a meaty, well-rounded film.
It has been said, “Children are not born with
hate--they are trained to hate,” and Jojo Rabbit
uses an unconventional and unforgettable
approach to prove that point. •
Morgan Rojas
City Council from front page
area; 1,638 square feet of office; 522 square
feet of lounge; 1,130 square feet of lobby;
and 17,000 square feet of storage and
circulation. The third floor will contain a
1,400-square foot outdoor terrace, while a
5,400-square foot patio on the lower level
will be used for live and recorded music
performances. The agreement with West
Basin will increase the number of parking
spots from 190 to 464.
The golf course will look much like it
does now, but with a few modifications to
holes to make it more challenging. Planning
and Building Safety Director Sam Lee noted
that the redesign will shorten the length of
the course from 1,340 yards to 1,206 yards.
Comments
During the public hearing, TopGolf Director
of Real Estate Devin Charhon spoke of
why his company is “so excited about this
project” and having both the golf course and
driving range in one place – a model not
yet exercised by TopGolf elsewhere in the
country. Pointing to El Segundo marketing
itself as the place “where big ideas take off,”
Charhon called the TopGolf project a “huge
idea.” He also mentioned his excitement to
partner with Billy Casper Golf (one of the
nine companies that responded to the Request
for Proposal last year for The Lakes) for the
golf course management. Charhon additionally
spoke of “PGA-certified instruction” as well
as academies and youth camps that will be
part of the future offerings with an overall
goal to “grow the game of golf and connect
people through golf.”
The outlook from the dais wasn’t unanimously
rosy. Brann, who voted against the
project in the past and was on the Council
when the item first appeared, was more adamant
than ever in his opposition to a TopGolf
at The Lakes. He provided three reasons. “I
don’t think it’s a good idea to have Council
members negotiate with developers,” he said,
referring to Nicol and Pimentel handling that
chore. “They need to figure out their role
and stay in their lane.”
Brann also expressed concern about the
speed to push through the transaction. “[We]
heard nothing since 2018 in the fall… all of
a sudden, it pops back up,” he said, surmising
that was one reason the room wasn’t full
on Tuesday (only six people spoke during
the public hearing, with the majority from
outside El Segundo). “We’re jamming it all
together like we’re in a hurry.”
Brann also noted that TopGolf’s proposal
last year came in after the deadline (it was
late by about a half hour, but accepted by
the Council). “If you’re a contractor, see
how that goes for you,” he said of tardiness
in such cases. By “ignoring the violation,”
Brann said the Council chose money over
integrity. He went on to suggest that a voter
referendum next year could overturn Tuesday’s
decision, as his campaign research when he
ran for Council in 2016 indicated to him
that there was strong opposition to TopGolf.
Paraphrasing Yogi Berra, Brann concluded,
“It’s not over til it’s over.”
Also during the public hearing, the Council
heard from Redondo Beach resident Wayne
Craig – a co-defendant along with that city’s
mayor and others in what a judge termed a
“frivolous” lawsuit CenterCal had funded in
connection with the failed redevelopment of
the long in limbo waterfront property there.
Craig warned the Council to “consider
honesty, fair dealing and integrity” before
committing to a deal involving CenterCal. In
response, Mitnick said the Redondo matter is
“a separate issue” on which the El Segundo
cannot comment. But he added that the City
“is fully aware and the Council is aware” of
the situation.
As for the rest of the Council comments,
Pimentel pointed out that the negotiations
prioritized maintaining the site’s overall
open space, with protections to ensure there
are no other uses other than golf as well as
provisions for youth access and entry as well
as tee times. “It was a long and difficult
negotiation,” he said.
Nicol asked City Attorney Mark Hensley
to confirm a few areas of potential confusion.
For instance… while the driving range
will be leased, the golf course management
agreement may be terminated by the Council
with six months notice.
Mayor Pro Tem Carol Pirsztuk requested
to add language to provide El Segundo
schools priority use of the driving range.
And Mayor Drew Boyles, responding to
Brann, said the RFP process to settle on
a final candidate was not required but still
undertaken for the purpose of “integrity
and transparency.” He spoke of the many
stakeholder groups that participated in the
process and concluded that the end result
for the City was a “better financial and
community benefit package” that also accommodated
the needs of the golf community.
Looking at the City’s projected future structural
deficit and lack of funding for infrastructure
improvements, Boyles thanked Nicol
and Pimentel for getting “the best deal for
the City.” Without TopGolf, he questioned,
“Who’s gonna keep The Lakes open on life
support?” The answer, he feared, would be
local residents’ dollars.
Nicol later urged El Segundo residents
to “put a little trust in us as people who
have the best interests of the community at
heart.” He also asked to cut CenterCal some
slack. “It’s in their best interest to be our
neighbor and not our foe. Go into it with
an open mind.”
After approving the ordinance on Nov. 5,
the next steps – assuming everything goes as
planned – will be as follows: Construction
begins between Feb. 5 and April 5, 2020,
with TopGolf opening the first quarter of
2021. Stay tuned… •
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