Mein Leben als Zucchini

"My Life as a Courgette" is such a simple story and simplicity really is the film's greatest strength. There is no flamboyant animation, no huge narrative arc, no gargantuan obstacles to somersault over, no chaotic chase sequences, no loud, yappy dialogue...basically nothing like what you might expect if this same story was told by an American studio.

At 66 mins, it's short and to the point, quiet, contemplative and starkly sad, yet filled with uplifting moments of hope and tenderness, which it conveys without ever feeling contrived or overly- sentimental.

The young French voice cast are terrific (I do hope anyone reading this review watches the French version and not the American dub). They do well to convey the vulnerability behind the broken characters. That, and I think some of the lines just sound so much better in French - the way the brattish Simon spits out the word "potet" was particularly amusing to me.

The animation is rather basic and the character's faces are not hugely expressive, but enough emotion is conveyed through body posing, vocal performance and composition that you would need a heart of stone not to feel for the young gang of misfits.

By the time the bitter-sweet end credits song kicked in, I was noticing a little moisture in the corner of my eye. Not sure the kids in the audience enjoyed it as much as I did though....which is an important point really. This film is NOT intended for young children. It deals with adult themes like death, neglect and abuse, in a very delicate way mind, but still, it's not something that's going to entertain the 'fidget spinner' generation.

"My Life as a Zucchini" was nominated for Best Animated Feature for the 2017 Academy Awards but lost to "Zootopia". It's a shame, as 2017 offered three very deserving films (I would also include "Kubo") and only one could take home the award. Perhaps my love for "My Life as a Zucchini" is influenced by my work as a social worker and therapist, as the story is a hopeful tale about children who have been shamefully abused by their parents...a common problem I had to deal with on the job.

The story begins with a child stuck in the attic of a horrible home while his mother is downstairs getting drunk and violent. When she tries to enter the attic to beat the boy, he panics and slams down the trap door...and the mother falls to her death. Soon the child is being talked to be a very kind police officer, Raymond, and he's surprised to hear that the boy's mother just called him 'Zucchini' and that's the only name he knows. Fortunately for poor little Zucchini, the man is touched by this case and regularly visits him in the children's home where he is sent to live.

As for the children's home, seven children reside in the place and they are given kindness and love. It's actually a pretty nice place, but your heart goes out to the children and the hell they've had to go through during their short lives. Most of the story is about Zucchini and how he adjusts to the place as well as his falling for a girl who arrives soon after him, Camille. And, fortunately, the picture, while VERY moving and sad, has a nice happy ending.

This is a very, very special stop-motion film. While it's very artistic and well done it is something more...it's very sweet and has a depth to it you really don't expect in animation. The Swiss film is available in both the original French language version and an English dub (which is very good) on the same DVD. Perhaps other versions are also available, but on the DVD I saw these were the two language choices. Well worth seeing...but have a Kleenex or two handy just in case.

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.

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.

"My Life As a Zucchini" (2016 release from Switzerland; 70 min.; original title "Ma vie de Courgette") brings the story of a 9 yr. old boy nicknamed Zucchini by his mom. As the movie opens, we see the boy playing in his attic room, as his mom drinks beer after beer while watching TV. After an unfortunate incident during which the boy accidentally causes his mom to fall off of the attic stairs, the boy is taken away to a country-side orphanage, where he has trouble fitting in with the other 5 kids. Then some time later, a new kid enters the orphanage, a girl named Camille. At this point we are maybe 10 min. into the movie, but to tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is a stop-motion animated film. I admit not being familiar with Swiss director Claude Barras, but regardless, Barras here brings a tale (based on the book "Autobiographie d'une Courgette") that cuts close to the heart about the need for love and understanding. The boy, missing his father (whom he has painted on his kite) AND his alcoholic mother (it's not clear what became of her, other that "she went away), is desperate for love and companionship as he makes his new life at the orphanage. The main characters are fully developed, with lost of nuance, and while there is quite a bit of humor in the film, the overall feeling is more bittersweet than anything. This movie is rated PG-13 for a reason and I would not recommend this for any kids younger than 9 or 10. BEWARE: the US theater release which I saw brings the movie in a dubbed version, sadly. It takes away from the charm of the movie, not to mention the originality (it's like watching the Simpsons dubbed in French if you get my drift). That point is only driven home even more so since we get , after the movie's end credits, a fake take-out of the boy being auditioned for the role, which is shown in French with subtitles, and you can immediately feel the difference in the voice characters. Shame on the US distributor for "dumbing down" the US release. Last but certainly not least, there is a delight soundtrack to this movie, courtesy of Swiss singer-songwriter Sophie Hunger (check out the heartbreaking tune that plays over the end credits). "My Life As a Zucchini" got an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature at the recent Oscars. The fact that it didn't win is besides the point, this is a top-notch quality movie, period. My only other complaint, other than the US theater release being dubbed, is that I wasn't ready to bid farewell to this film after just over an hour... (The screening was rounded out by another Swiss stop-motion animated shortie, the 8 min. delightful "The Genie In the Box of Raviolis".)

"My Life As a Zucchini" opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati and I couldn't wait to see it. The Friday evening screening where I saw this at was attended poorly (only 6 people, including myself), so I imagine this will not play more than a week in the theater. If you have a chance to catch this later on Amazon Instant Video or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, I strongly recommend you do so, you won't regret it. "My Life As a Zucchini" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!