Review: My Life as a Zucchini

There are a few animated films I'd love to watch over and over (like Coraline, Persepolis, and Spirited Away, among other glorious movies), and even fewer ones whose stories tug at my heart strings. 

I usually watch a new movie I've discovered immediately but for some reason, this one sat in my external drive for at least 2 weeks. It's been on my drive for that long before I gave in to my curiosity. 

The Story

My Life as a Zucchini (Ma vie de Courgette) is a film about Icare, a little boy who lost his mother due to an accident at home. He is taken to an orphanage where he makes friends and learns what trust means. 

(A lot of things happen between his mother's death and the heart-warming end, and the way it was written and directed made you feel for every character. Not all were given their time to shine, but you'll notice how each kid's story about why they ended up there left much to ponder on after the movie ended.)

The Visuals

I am truly a sucker for stop-motion animation. Back in college, we had a class where we tried doing stop-motion, and while it was one of the best experiences I've had with art, the amount of work we did to make it at least viewable by a small class was already off the charts. Image producing assets and shooting frame by frame at this scale!

It takes a different kind of passion and dedication to produce a wonderful stop-motion, and at this level of perfection. The ambience paints the picture of what that moment would truly feel in real life, and I guess that's why I could relate with Icare so much. The sets were well-made and no detail was left out. You know the feeling you get when something just makes sense and feels right? Exactly.

Final Thoughts

This isn't new by any means (released 2016) and the copy I watched was in French, so I don't know if there's any difference in wordings between this and the English version. Whichever version you watch, the story will remain as it is and will no doubt give you the same warm feeling someone like me (cold, horror buff) felt so much of. (I have to add that the voice actors they got to play each character were great choices. The voices go well with the stories and the personalities of each person.)

All in all, this film is beautiful. Great story line, great visuals, great voice-acting, and great ambience. I feel that this should be shown to more people of all ages, and young audiences with the proper guidance of adults will benefit from it. My Life as a Zucchini is one I'll keep watching every now and then.