Screenwriters: Jérémy Clapin, Guillaume Laurant
Starring (voices of): [French original] Hakim Faris, Victorie du Bois; [English dubbed] Dev Patel, Alia Shawkat
Genres: Animation, Drama
MPAA Rating: N/R
Release Dates: 11/15/19 (Limited); 11/29/19 (Disc/Streaming)
Where to Watch: Netflix
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I watched the French-made, Netlix-released animated film (that is meant for a more mature audience) I Lost My Body (i.e. J’ai Perdu Mon Corps). I’d heard such positive reviews that I decided to make it my first watch of 2020, and I was absolutely enthralled and entranced.
The film is, at times, wondrously strange and hauntingly beautiful. The animation is as good as it gets, featuring breathtaking visuals, including some that are downright creepy and disturbing. While the film has its moments of levity and light humor, it is overall sad and melancholic.
Even the English dubbing — lead by Dev Patel and Alia Shawkat] — is done well, with the occasional French song or subtitle for words read/seen. I found myself really drawn into the story which, despite its surrealistic and nightmarish elements, is teeming with authenticity.
The film touches on immigration, loneliness, and there’s even a bit of romance. And yet, I couldn’t help but feel a tad disappointed with the ending, because it was more open-ended than I’d liked. But, that is just my personal opinion of its conclusion, which sits somewhere between happiness and despair.
A-