Ich habe meinen Körper verloren

A masterpiece out of left field. Rich, layered, lean...devastating

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

The surreal nature of I Lost My Body where a mysterious severed hand travels on its own to assumedly find its owner blends with the sweet little romantic comedy to make you smile. It is delightful to watch but even more delightful to take in the nonstop score and soundtrack (the hip hop songs are the shiz) that just fits well to the story of Naoufel, a teenage confused with life and who falls in love with a girl after speaking to her for five minutes through an intercom. The romance is pure and so is the charming overall quality of this French pie that just melts in your mouth as you relish it. The comedy, the romance, the surrealism, and the sheer storyline will make you think about I Lost My Body for days after you have left the hall. Watch it for the cunningness of the hand or the innocence of the chemistry between the the lovers. TN.

(Watched and reviewed at its India premiere at the 21st MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.)

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.

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.