Minha Vida de Abobrinha

The way they made this film was very original, and good originality is very valuable and worth watching. I love stop-motion, in this is an excellent stop-motion, because of everything in the film impressed me. The characters are very original, even the name that the main character has is amazing. The screenplay embraces so many genuine topics, as love and the different ways it can be shown; it has humor but it also wants to make you cry and fall in love with each character. The production is incredible, amazing, out of this world; and I couldn't ask for more, it made me want to cry because of this simple but outstanding production! This motion picture is really worth watching, is very touching; and if I could only watch one movie for the rest of my life it will be this one.

"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!

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.

Great movie. Awesome. I thought this movie would be sad, but it's not sad. The only sad part is the beginning. The movie has a lot of heart without being tragic or sad. You just get to see the main character interact with the other characters and grow into a better life. The only flaw is the film has a rosy depiction of orphanages, when orphanages are not nice places in any way.

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.