For Jojo is a German drama film about the lives of two childhood best friends Paula and Jojo, as they grow and drift apart amidst Paula’s quest to stop Jojo from marrying a man called Daniel. The movie is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
Paula and Jojo have been best friends since childhood- inseparable until a moment comes when Jojo has to shift to another country for work.
Paula despises the distance between them and the loneliness she feels without her best friend next to her. When Jojo comes back and announces that she is marrying Daniel, Paula begins plotting to stop the marriage from taking place because she cannot imagine Jojo sharing her life with someone else.
She crosses all boundaries of their friendship in this process, leading to the question, is it sometimes important to learn to let go of those dearest to you?
For Jojo is, in essence, a film about growing up, growing apart and learning how to deal with the emotions that folllow.
Performances
Caro Cult provides an impressive performance as Paula. She decently portrays the emotions of hurt and loss her character feels. Her character is made to be quite unlikeable but a little more realism and better writing, would lead to more empathy for her situation.
Nina Gummich plays the role of Jojo, and again, portrays her character well but with a more defined storyline, she might have been able to shine more on screen.
The rest of the characters contribute to the story and help in building the tension that Paula is inevitably feeling.
Positives
The colour palette in the movie is a beautiful addition, and the largely warm toned edits on Paula, and brighter tones on Jojo look good on screen.
It is a realistic and humane storyline, and this makes it a relatively easier watch. It recycles a common storyline of growing apart but proves to be quite raw and real in its portrayal.
The movie has quite a few picturesque shots, enhanced by the lighting and colour palette.
Negatives
The basic premise for the movie is realistic, but holds all the traits of a typical drama storyline. It is predictable, but adding more dimension to the characters and building on making the story a bit more engaging would go a long way.
The shaky camera angles and POV shots end up being overdone and lose their initial novelty in this film, and this creates a relatively bland on-screen experience in the bargain. The sound design is a bit choppy, but not too noticeable.
The ending was quite cryptic, and the scenes left a lot of unanswered questions regarding the future of Paula and Jojo’s friendship, as well as that of Jojo’s marriage. There does not seem to be any sort of closure provided.
Verdict
The storyline is quite disappointing and a bit predictable. Watch only for the realistic acting and a few picturesque shots in the film.
Rating: 2.5/5
Also Read: For Jojo ending explained: Does Jojo really get married?