Ich habe meinen Körper verloren

Though, there are too many interpretations to this one - What it forced me to believe and somewhere poked a thought in me was - "What you seek is seeking you" - Somewhere, it's about a dream - A dream that's seeking you - While you're sitting back, afraid of taking that leap into the unknown - A leap of faith, a jump that's completely unpredictable and irrational - But sometimes, you take that leap and therefore you reach an unknown place with unknown challenges which bring unknown rewards to you - Just run into it blindly and keep your fingers crossed.

A simple animation and yet so poetic and melancholic. It's slow and cozy to watch, it unexpectedly got my feelings carried away through the story of this young boy finding his reasons to continue living. "I lost my body" is all about losses in life that many of us go through, and the uniquevocual reason we continue to live is hope to find that part of us that's missing, such as love. A very few movies out there have the capacity to touch hearts these days, this is one of them.

I typically take a lot of notes while watching movies at home as it helps jog my memory if I wait a few weeks before I put out a "review" of the film. With I Lost My Body, I found myself completely entranced in the film and stopped looking down at my notebook after 15-20 minutes. Beautifully animated and a wonderfully strung together story, this is one of the best animated films of the last 10 years. One of the few absolute wins coming from original Netflix films. And that score by Dan Levy....that score!

9.4/10

'I Lost My Body (2018)' is an unconventional experience, more of a poem than a traditional film. It mixes the surreal with the mundane; intertwines the past with the present. Somehow, its disparate elements come together to form one complete whole. It's surprisingly nuanced, as successful in its relationship drama as in its five-fingered antics. It's strangely satisfying, too. Its wonderful animation, realist aesthetic and almost ethereal main theme all add up to an experience that's as bizarre as it is beautiful. It's difficult to explain how but the piece undeniably finds a real sense of poignancy. It's remarkable, really. Of course, its 'arty' nature is likely to put off a good chunk of its audience; it isn't as straightforward as its premise would suggest, after all. Yet, the flick is all the better for it. It's genuinely affecting in a subtle but significant way. It's pretty great, even if it isn't always massively entertaining. 7/10

I Lost My Body is a captivating watch thanks mainly to the incredibly textured animation, but unfortunately I felt a little let down by the narrative which just seemed to go nowhere with no obvious resolution. Told through present day and two different periods of flash back we follow the hand of Naoufel which is desperate to reconnect with its owner after an accident. Prior to his accident we are drip fed information that Naoufel has had a tumultuous upbringing losing his parents in a car accident, growing up with an unloving foster parent whilst working unsuccessfully as a pizza delivery man instead of his early ambition to be a pianist or astronaut. It resonates for sure (I wanted to be a pilot or illustrator growing up, neither fulfilled like Naoufel). But after a failed pizza delivery his focus is given clarity in the form of Gabrielle. All the narrative jumps back and forth to weave the narrative together but its in the final act when the timelines converge that unfortunately Director Jérémy Clapin gave me no satisfying closure. I don't mind ambiguity in a film but this just seemed to peeter out without resolution. Undeniably the animation is mesmerising. Every frame is wonderfully drawn with texture on every surface, unlike many animated films which solely rely on one layer of shading to give form to a 2D image. The movement of the hand is also superb giving it a personality of its own as it goes on an urban assault course, avoiding both human and animal peril in order to find it's host. The music by Dan Levy is also brilliant and almost hypnotic adding atmosphere to the proceedings. Although not a perfect film I Lost My Body is a beautifully crafted animated film that might be more rewarding on repeat viewings but initially is somewhat of a disappointment due to it's ending.