JOJO Rabbit yesterday won the Toronto film festival’s top prize, an Oscars bellwether that gives the satirical Nazi comedy a boost as Hollywood’s awards season kicks into gear.

The movie from Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi tells the story of a young German boy living during World War II whose imaginary friend is a make-believe version of Adolf Hitler.

Billed as an “anti-hate satire”, it plots how the child – a Hitler Youth member with a fondness for Nazi uniforms and book-burnings – discovers that his mother, played by Scarlett Johansson, is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic.

It beat runners-up Marriage Story – also starring Johansson – and Cannes Palme d’Or winner Parasite from South Korean director Bong Joon-ho.

The Toronto People’s Choice Award, determined entirely by the votes of festival attendees, has a strong history of predicting Oscars success.

The last seven winners were all nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, with two of those winning the Oscar, including last year’s surprise victor, Green Book.

The films 12 Years a Slave (2013), The King’s Speech (2010) and Slumdog Millionaire (2008) all began their awards season journey to Oscar glory with the Toronto prize.

Jojo Rabbit earned only middling reviews from critics after its world premiere in Toronto.

The Hollywood Reporter praised its “raucous, audience-pleasing outrageousness”, but warned that its cartoonish approach to Nazi Germany “doesn’t wear well as matters deepen and progress”.

Variety called it a “feel-good hipster Nazi comedy” that “creates the illusion of danger while playing it safe”.

The Toronto International Film Festival is the largest such event in North America. This year, it featured more than 300 films from 84 countries, including 133 world premieres.

Meryl Streep, who is promoting Netflix’s Panama Papers thriller The Laundromat, received the inaugural actress prize.

Joker star Joaquin Phoenix picked up the inaugural actor award, delivering an emotional tribute to his late brother, River.

Waititi got the director prize for Jojo Rabbit, while another new award, honouring outstanding young female talent, went to French filmmaker Mati Diop (Atlantics). – AFP, September 16, 2019.