My Life as a Zucchini [DVD]

𝑾𝒆'𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆.𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒖𝒔.My Life as a Courgette (French: Ma vie de Courgette; also titled My Life as a Zucchini) is a 2016 stop-motion animated comedy-drama film directed by Claude Barras. After losing his mother, a young boy is sent to a foster home with other orphans his age where he begins to learn the meaning of trust and true love.The praise deserved In both the animation and voice acting department for "𝑴𝒚 𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝑨𝒔..." is limitless. Each character was created using a total of 54 puppets (So, each has three different outfits) and were handcrafted with latex, silicone, and resin. Emphasis is put on the movement and shape of eyes (as a facial feature) and capture the reaction individuals have to events taking place off screen without exaggeration or overindulgence. The actors (with the exception of some of the adult characters) had very little to no prior experience in this field, and they were encouraged to act their own scenes out in person. As a result of this the dedication and spontaneity of it all has a meaningful presence on screen.(Interested in learning more? If so, check out this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnBK9I_eyuY&t=4s)This is the second standing adaptation of Gilles Paris' 2002 novel ‘𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙤𝙗𝙞𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙚 𝙙'𝙪𝙣𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚’, and it makes serious attempts at appealing to this source novel’s target audience: younger children. Before production a team of screenwriters had a significant hand in editing the original script with the goal of precision and cohesiveness and this this subsequently made for a screenplay that is simple and sweet. I would recommend some parental guidance because of some of the topics alluded to, but the graphics avoid being explicit or unwittingly insensitive. A majority of the characters are far from pristine, and myths related to the intricacies of the foster care system are smoothly addressed. I will say that the ending has a bit of a #fairytale feeling that is unremarkable to it, but the whole of ‘𝑴𝒚 𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝑨𝒔…’’ is greater than the sum of its parts.Don't let the doodly ascetics and rudimental hardware fool you though: ‘𝑴𝒚 𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝑨𝒔…’ calmly - but effectively - brooches on some pretty dark material. This is especially true when the children and the wide range of reasons they are in this system are kindly explored.One child in particular struck a chord.I apologize in advance: there's one brief reference to violence to come.In my free time I volunteer as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA, for short). I'll spare you the details, but I'm basically an observational tool. I'm assigned to children that have been removed from their homes because of some form of abuse and/or neglect and help make decisions about their residency and guardianship.It's not easy.One wrong move can be fatal.A few years ago I was assigned to a case that was unprecedented (for our department) and I haven't had one like it since.The details are simple.I was assigned to a pair of siblings: a brother and a sister.They were barely 10 years oldThe brother liked to collect Pokemon cards.The sister spent much of her time drawing.Their father murdered their mother.Stabbed her 14 times in the throat.Right in front of his children.His. Children Watched. Their. Mother. Get. Killed.And then there I was: hoping to help resolve custody related disputes that started soon after between their maternal and paternal grandparents.I was on that case for a little more than 6 months and I have had other assignments since then, but this one specifically has endlessly haunted me. I don't talk about it often.Generally speaking: I don't feel like these experiences are really mine to be sharing in the first place. It probably goes without saying that it isn’t exactly kosher to bring this topic up unprovoked.Difficult as these cases might be: I've learned a lot throughout my journey as a CASA, and the interactions I've had for at least 6 years now are etched into my memory.The sometimes unintended cruelty of children.The ferocity of resilience.The nature of healing that is possible by wading in the pool full of acceptance and understanding.All things said and done: these lessons are the lens I've used to watch ‘𝑴𝒚 𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝑨𝒔…’. It’s length when compared to other films is underwhelming, but it's gravity and reach are anything but. Herein resides an homage to the triumphs and set-backs that a vulnerable population is expected to celebrate and pull through in silence.If you have a connection to this subject matter seen here the tears and smiles will naturally appear.If you don't have a connection to it then please just take my word for it: This is scores away from being unworthy of your attention. As its resolution comes closer in view ‘𝑴𝒚 𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝑨𝒔…’ makes one last effort in touching on the power of unconditional love or support and the role they have in undoing the harm caused by generational trauma..These themes aren't just universally sound.They are unequivocally Important.

Swiss/French stop-motion animated file about a boy who ends up in foster care and the unexpected friendships he makes. Very well done in every way, but just because it's animated does not mean it is appropriate for younger children. Fine to watch with teens of a certain age & maturity, but make your decision knowing that the following are discussed: how babies are made (inaccurate and hilarious but includes talk of "willies exploding"), the many reasons kids end up in foster care (drunk parents, parents killing other parents, suicide, hitting, verbal abuse, parent's poor mental health/OCD, parent's deportation, etc.), and the sadness of not being adopted/Mom only visiting, not taking you home. You would think that a film including these topics would be heavy and depressing, yet the creators have made it hopeful.

This is a story about orphans old enough that they are unlikely to be adopted and how they came to be orphaned.And how they deal with their past traumas and each other.Not to mention a predatory relative who pretends to be Ms Sweetness & Light but is more like Ms Demon Queen in her real attitude toward her niece.The title comes from the preferred name of the protagonist (Zucchini).Definitely worth watching!

Beautiful Blu-ray. Maybe my favorite stop-motion, visually.I don't share the opinion that the English dub completely ruins the film, but it isn't nearly the same experience. I saw it in English first and loved it. However, the French makes it much better. The English voice cast is plenty talented, but sadly they don't fully use their talents here; I wonder if it was a rush job.In French, the emotions and nuances feel very different. Much more subtle, melancholy, and gentle. If you stream it from Amazon, you will only get the English. It's worth buying the Blu-ray for the improvement in the stunning picture quality (unless your Internet speed is top notch, the streaming won't come near the beauty of the disc), but mainly to have access to the superior French audio.I work in a long term care facility for children, and this film gets a lot of things right. The back stories of these children and the bonds they form with the few adults who truly care for them and with the other children are well represented. The film may lean to the happier endings of these kinds of cases, but such endings do occur (I know of a child who was as fortunate as one of the characters in this film in where she ended up). A beautiful film.Also, the Making-Of special feature is one of the best. I was thoroughly fascinated with the process and with the sensitivity of the filmmakers to both their subject and their craft. This feature is subtitled in English.

I started watching this and realized it is not a movie for kids younger than 12. There are some serious adult topics in the movie, even though it looked billed for kids and is clay-mation. It is not a bad movie overall, just more of a movie for older kids who could talk about things like alcoholism and sexual activity and the consequences. It comes from Sweden I think.

I originally watched this movie in French. Do not be put off by the claymation aspect of this story. It is a beautifully real story told in an engaging style. The claymation allows for a lighter tone to some life situations that are unfortunately real for our world. The honesty of the characters makes this a must see. I called family in, one by one because they work or had school, to watch it with me. Since I first viewed this I have seen it at least 6 times.

La película es genial. La edición en BR viene con una alta definición y sonido estupendos. Varios extras ("making of") muy interesantes, y que completan la experiencia deseable para cualquier adepto al cine de animación (o, incluso, cine en general). Muy recomendable.

Sin comentarios, es muy buena. (Tener en cuenta que no tiene idioma ni subtítulos en español), llego rápido y bonita su presentación.