Ma vie de Courgette (2016) Reviews

• Incredibly heartfelt

  Red_Identity2017-05-26

  It's easy to dismiss an animated film like this that deals with the themes that this does. The film's quality, however, goes a long way towards making us realize that running time doesn't dictate how good something is. This film is short, but it packs a punch. One of its biggest strengths is that it doesn't try to fill up the running time or try to do many other turns in the storyline. It's very, very simply but as a result its themes are clearer than many other animated films' themes. It's handled with delicacy and subtlety. It's an incredibly strong film that I recommend.

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• Mature take on youth that still keeps a child-like tone

  kayan-154602017-07-24

  My Life as a Zucchini was nominated for Best Feature Film at the 89th Academy Awards. And for a 70 minute feature, that says a lot. This French-Swiss stop-motion animation film takes on a mature content but never fails to keep its child-like tone and to an extent, its innocence. It follows the story of Icare (but prefers to be called Zucchini), who lives with his alcoholic mother. After an accident, Zucchini has been sent to an orphanage by a policeman named Raymond. Zucchini's start at the orphanage is rough—thanks to the Simon, the bully. From there on, we are immersed into Zucchini's adventures as he learns of friendship, of family and of love. This animated film ravel with its wonderful visuals that reminds us of the days when its was toys over tablets. In a way, this serves as a nostalgic treat for teenagers. Almost every scene carries a powerful meaning. But its greatest feat is looking at the lives of these children through a different lens—they are all abandoned, damaged or broken. One has her mom deported, the other has his father jailed— these are all mature themes but nevertheless, real. But despite all that, Zucchini and his crew are all still children. They play, they dance, they sing. The film never stops to carry this child-like tone. The colorful aesthetics are impactful and an array of vibrancy spreads across the screen. It is a brave film that looks at life at an emotional depth. It's an eye-opening experience.

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• Deeply touching, funny, human and quirky stop motion animated film from France.

  runamokprods2016-12-30

  Deeply touching, funny, human and quirky stop motion animated film from France. While theoretically for kids, any film that opens with a depressed 9 year old accidentally killing his verbally abusive alcoholic mother (and treating it as sad black comedy) is not exactly aimed at 7 year olds. There's a lovely emotional complexity to this brief feature (66 minutes), where life at an orphanage full of kids from circumstances as damaging and horrible as 'Zucchini's actually has a kind of odd sweetness. Characters evolve and show new sides, and are wonderfully voiced very naturally in part by real kids. Plus the adults at the orphanage, as well as the policeman who bring's Zucchini there really try to provide love, support and fun for their charges as best they can (and when have we ever seen THAT in a film or even book? 'Orphanage' and 'cop' are usually other words for 'evil'). That humanity makes the limbo where these deeply wounded but wonderfully resilient kids live rich and real – and often very funny. I really appreciated how often I had no idea how things ( a plot twist or a relationship) would turn out. I liked the film from the start, but it just grew and grew on me as I watched it, topped off by a wonderfully odd 'outtake' after the film ends. Creative, alive and terrific. NB: I had just finished writing this review when I learned that the film is being re-voiced by some (admittedly excellent) US actors for release here. That may work out great, but all the performances in the original are so lovely and perfect, that I would suggest seeing the subtitled version if at all possible.

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• A story of caring and sentiment without being sentimental.

  jdesando2017-03-13

  "Many people, for many reasons, feel rootless - but orphans and abandoned or abused children have particular cause." Christina Baker Kline Stories about orphans such as Dickens' Oliver Twist have a special place--they remind us of what a gift family is. Having loving parents and siblings provides safe haven from hunger of the stomach and the heart. Claude Barras' moving stop- motion animation, My Life as a Zucchini, explores the plight of seven young orphans with emphasis on Zucchini, a name given to him by his drunken mother. As he goes off to an orphanage, he discovers more challenges than being with his mom, whose memory he keeps by carrying around one of her discarded beer cans. The usual bully (Simon) is in residence along with some meek kids and with Camille, a saucy ten year old ready to take on Simon's cynicism and Zucchini's love. As you can tell by the entrance of Camille, all is not lost at this homeless haven, much less the emerging sense of cooperation and compassion. The film gently approaches each major crisis with equanimity, relying not on easy solutions or catastrophes but on the emerging sense of cooperation and sincere love. It's difficult to determine what makes this animation so human with its characters and their eccentricities; all I know is that I felt deeply about each orphan right down to the wicked aunt. It's not sentimental, mind you, just powerfully humane and deserving its Oscar nomination for best animation. Could it be the Keane-like big eyes, so expressively alive with emotion? Possibly so. At any rate, this animation will appeal to all ages and answer some age-old questions about the depth of loneliness and the salvation adoption can bring. "Orphanages are the only places that ever left me feeling empty and full at the same time." John M. Simmons

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• touching characters

  SnoopyStyle2017-09-28

  Icare or as he prefers, Zucchini, lives with his drunken single mother. He accidentally kills his mom and is sent to a children's home. Police officer Raymond befriends him. Simon bullies him but becomes a good friend. New girl Camille arrives and he falls for her. This is an European stop-motion animated film. It has an unusual intriguing look. The character designs have a beautiful ugliness. My only drawback is its shorter running time. There is something odd about this inbetween length and leaves me missing something. I do like Simon's turn especially. Initially, he is a full-on bully but he turns into one of the most compelling character in the movie. The story has some real heart. This is an Oscar nominated animation.

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