User reviews

Arty French animation "I Lost My Body" contains some lovely imagery, and others have applauded it for its poetic dramatization, but I want to focus on its clever self-reflexive construction. The story involves a character whose hand is severed, whereupon the plot mostly assumes a dual focus of that character with his remaining body and of that of his disembodied limb, the latter of which assumes an independent agency and movement. There's also a girl, who plays an important role in one respect, but the hero's journey is predominantly concerned with the boy and the hand. The foundational obstacle for both the boy and hand is to overcome a past tragedy of separation: the death of the boy's parents and, in the other case, the loss of the hand's body. All of which is congruent with the picture's self-referential pulse of the disconnection of modern animated movies, such as this one, from traditional hand-drawn animated cinema.

This is more than a handy pun. Most of the primary elements of creating animation are included in the narrative. It has music--the boy's mother played the cello, and he and a blind man play the piano. The boy also collected audio on a cassette recorder (a device which also serves a critical function in the overcoming of the heroes' obstacles). Also notice the focus in the story on disembodied dialogue (e.g. the pizza delivery scene), which is what voice acting consists of, and on sound effects (e.g. the sound of wind from pressing one's hand to their ear). Besides the promise of a generic romantic coupling, the girl's role here also is in the writing department. She's a librarian and recommends to him a novel, "The World According to Garp," which itself is a piece of multi-layered, self-referential fiction about a writer and writing. Additionally, the boy borrows books about igloos from the library, which provides him with inspiration for his architectural designs. Thus, we have design (architectural and written), a soundtrack and a score. All that's left is to build the visuals of the animation. For that, he becomes a carpenter's apprentice--using, as his employer gives a helping hand, tools, accessories and instruments to transform the material, wood, which comes from the same stuff the paper animators used to draw films on did.

Note that only then does the hand's separate story begin, from an "accident" of carpentry. Film is a process of reanimation; in live action especially, but also, through inspiration or as reference, in animation as well, film captures something alive--something animated--then kills and makes it inanimate as still images before, finally, reanimating what was once captured as the projected (or Netflix streamed, as the case may be) motion picture that the spectator views. Likewise, the hand's individual adventure begins when he is captured by the electric saw; next, the hand lies dead before becoming reanimated as something entirely different from what it once was. In other words, the disembodied hand here is a metaphor for film and, specifically, animated film. It's the film-within-the-film, the hand's journey nested between the outer story of the boy's making of that story, along with the girl as being something of our on-screen surrogate spectator.

Unlike in live action, these drawn compositions don't necessitate a physical camera. This provides a free hand to the perspective of the picture, the theoretical camera's eye, which in turn becomes the spectator's shared vantage point, to be limited only by the filmmakers' imagination. The handling of that camera here is where "I Lost My Body" most excels visually in my estimation. In addition to alternating between color and black-and-white palettes and 2D and 3D computer animation, there's some shifting in perspectives. We and the camera are sometimes like a fly--oblivious, perhaps, to the characters when we're at a distance on a wall, but a nuisance when we swoop in or rest too close upon them. Other times, we share the point of view of this or that character--both what they see in the outside world and, through memories and fantasies, what they imagine with their mind's eye. At one point, we're just a disembodied eyeball resting on a floor. We may even be a reflection in a subway mirror as we witness a hand hiding under a ravioli can scurrying by. (By the way, does anyone else sense a dig at Pixar--specifically "Ratatouille" (2007) with this sequence involving rats, but with other scenes, too, such as floating through the wind (albeit it with an umbrella instead of balloons) between cars, and I can't think of any better reason for the astronaut business here. It would be fitting since, after all, Pixar largely killed traditional animation.)

Even better here is the attempt, which seems specifically more suited to animation because of how it's made, to expand the sensory stimuli by adding texture and a motif of the hand feeling the physical world around it. We experience movies, to paraphrase Charlie Chaplin, as movement, two planes and a suggestion of depth; it's something we've always seen and, later, also heard. Of course, we also feel emotionally and physically in response to the audio-visual experience. Thus, sure, "I Lost My Body" is touching, but, moreover, its tactile focus, hand-in-hand with its self-reflexive framework, almost gives the impression that it's a movie we can feel, to reach out and touch back.

A simple animation and yet so poetic and melancholic. It's slow and cozy to watch, it unexpectedly got my feelings carried away through the story of this young boy finding his reasons to continue living. "I lost my body" is all about losses in life that many of us go through, and the uniquevocual reason we continue to live is hope to find that part of us that's missing, such as love. A very few movies out there have the capacity to touch hearts these days, this is one of them.

A masterpiece out of left field. Rich, layered, lean...devastating

I Lost My Body is a captivating watch thanks mainly to the incredibly textured animation, but unfortunately I felt a little let down by the narrative which just seemed to go nowhere with no obvious resolution. Told through present day and two different periods of flash back we follow the hand of Naoufel which is desperate to reconnect with its owner after an accident. Prior to his accident we are drip fed information that Naoufel has had a tumultuous upbringing losing his parents in a car accident, growing up with an unloving foster parent whilst working unsuccessfully as a pizza delivery man instead of his early ambition to be a pianist or astronaut. It resonates for sure (I wanted to be a pilot or illustrator growing up, neither fulfilled like Naoufel). But after a failed pizza delivery his focus is given clarity in the form of Gabrielle. All the narrative jumps back and forth to weave the narrative together but its in the final act when the timelines converge that unfortunately Director Jérémy Clapin gave me no satisfying closure. I don't mind ambiguity in a film but this just seemed to peeter out without resolution. Undeniably the animation is mesmerising. Every frame is wonderfully drawn with texture on every surface, unlike many animated films which solely rely on one layer of shading to give form to a 2D image. The movement of the hand is also superb giving it a personality of its own as it goes on an urban assault course, avoiding both human and animal peril in order to find it's host. The music by Dan Levy is also brilliant and almost hypnotic adding atmosphere to the proceedings. Although not a perfect film I Lost My Body is a beautifully crafted animated film that might be more rewarding on repeat viewings but initially is somewhat of a disappointment due to it's ending.

I typically take a lot of notes while watching movies at home as it helps jog my memory if I wait a few weeks before I put out a "review" of the film. With I Lost My Body, I found myself completely entranced in the film and stopped looking down at my notebook after 15-20 minutes. Beautifully animated and a wonderfully strung together story, this is one of the best animated films of the last 10 years. One of the few absolute wins coming from original Netflix films. And that score by Dan Levy....that score!

9.4/10

'I Lost My Body (2018)' is an unconventional experience, more of a poem than a traditional film. It mixes the surreal with the mundane; intertwines the past with the present. Somehow, its disparate elements come together to form one complete whole. It's surprisingly nuanced, as successful in its relationship drama as in its five-fingered antics. It's strangely satisfying, too. Its wonderful animation, realist aesthetic and almost ethereal main theme all add up to an experience that's as bizarre as it is beautiful. It's difficult to explain how but the piece undeniably finds a real sense of poignancy. It's remarkable, really. Of course, its 'arty' nature is likely to put off a good chunk of its audience; it isn't as straightforward as its premise would suggest, after all. Yet, the flick is all the better for it. It's genuinely affecting in a subtle but significant way. It's pretty great, even if it isn't always massively entertaining. 7/10

I like originals movies, with ideas and good mastery of technicals aspects and real knowledge about cinema. This movie is all of that. Yes, it's a small budget and animation is not the best skill of the movie, but this lack of money is more than compensated by beautiful scenery and the poetry that emerges.

Absolutely stunning, beautiful and captivating. Loved everything about it because it's different. Also beautiful music!

I Lost My Body definitely gets points for creativity and stylistic choice, but it's also a slow-moving film with an unclear destination. The alternation between Nauvel and the hand was certainly an interesting choice, and it is fun to see the hand travel around Paris. We spend the entire film going through flashbacks to understand some very simple events. The fact that there's literally no substance to their romance, just him talking to her a couple times and falling in love and following her, precluded much investment in the plot line. The ending is clearly hearkening back to Nauvel's earlier line about cheating fate, but rings hollow - he wanted to do something and unpredictable to cheat fate just for the sake of it, with no real goal in mind? It's not a bad story, and the reveal of what happened to the hand and his parents was well set up by the story, but it drags so much getting there that the payoff feels insufficient. It is bold and artistic, but there really wasn't anything to latch onto in this film.

A severed hand goes in search of the rest of its body in this beautiful and hugely imaginative animated feature from French director Jeremy Clapin while elsewhere, in what appears to be a parallel story, a boy grows up and goes in search of love and his place in the world. "I Lost my Body" is the kind of animated film that really does qualify as a work of art, (the imagery throughout is gorgeous), though the subject matter probably disqualifies it as being suitable for children, (never mind the occasional sexual reference; the basic concept itself is pretty alarming). The version I saw was the dubbed 'American' print but since the dialogue is always highly intelligent purists have nothing to worry about. If there is any justice this should win the Best Animated Feature Oscar that almost certainly will go to "Frozen II".

Though, there are too many interpretations to this one - What it forced me to believe and somewhere poked a thought in me was - "What you seek is seeking you" - Somewhere, it's about a dream - A dream that's seeking you - While you're sitting back, afraid of taking that leap into the unknown - A leap of faith, a jump that's completely unpredictable and irrational - But sometimes, you take that leap and therefore you reach an unknown place with unknown challenges which bring unknown rewards to you - Just run into it blindly and keep your fingers crossed.

The surreal nature of I Lost My Body where a mysterious severed hand travels on its own to assumedly find its owner blends with the sweet little romantic comedy to make you smile. It is delightful to watch but even more delightful to take in the nonstop score and soundtrack (the hip hop songs are the shiz) that just fits well to the story of Naoufel, a teenage confused with life and who falls in love with a girl after speaking to her for five minutes through an intercom. The romance is pure and so is the charming overall quality of this French pie that just melts in your mouth as you relish it. The comedy, the romance, the surrealism, and the sheer storyline will make you think about I Lost My Body for days after you have left the hall. Watch it for the cunningness of the hand or the innocence of the chemistry between the the lovers. TN.

(Watched and reviewed at its India premiere at the 21st MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.)

Saw this at LFF with absolutely no idea what to expect. I was completely blown away by how beautiful, heart felt and emotional it was.

If any film can make you hold back the tears in my eyes is a winner. Let alone an animated one.

Beautiful. Hope this gets a cinematic release

GRADE: C+

THIS FILM IS MILDLY RECOMMENDED.

IN BRIEF: All of the strong visuals cannot put this film back together.

JIM'S REVIEW: I Lost My Body is a strange little French animated film that has been getting some accolades from many critic circles and film festivals. The film is a tad macabre as it tells the tale of a severed hand in search of its original owner. Yes, I did say strange.

The owner is Naoufel, a pizza delivery man, who meets a young librarian named Gabrielle. Their love story is slim, but it is how hand meets man that is the main gist of the story. The narrative is, literally, disjointed as both story threads converge, one more interesting than the other. While the abrupt conclusion left me a little disappointed, this reviewer was more than satisfied with its artistic merit.

The filmmaker, Jérémy Clapin, has some nice visuals with his skewed perspective and subdued color palette. His varied backgrounds and focus of object details is uniquely rendered. However, the film's characters tend to resemble the artwork of figurative painter Alex Katz, but as animated characters go, they lack the emotional clout to carry a film. Their flatness makes them emotionless figures, too remote to register any life.

Still, the story continually intrigues as we wonder how Naoufel and his extremity parted ways. Even if the hand sequences are far more engaging than its human love story, I Lost My Body is always a worthwhile and artistic journey.

Intending to watch the cartoon "I lost my body", I didn't really count on anything. Not a bad rating and reviews for the work, but it was the Oscar nomination in the Best Animated Film category that interested me.

From the very first minutes, the picture attracts the viewer's attention with an unusual and peculiar drawing, which, as a rule, is characteristic of author's projects. The work of director Jeremy Klapen is immediately interesting due to the unusual presentation of the material, the initially incomprehensible concept of a severed hand that wanders through a predatory city, and the undoubtedly attractive soundtrack.

The material is fed through flashbacks of the main character Noufel, scenes of his current life and with the help of a separate story arc of the hand, so to speak. The further the creators move us through the story of a young man, the more the sad world of this young man opens up to us. The director skillfully pulls the viewer by these and other nerves, allowing him to plunge into the guy's world and identify himself with him. Watching the sad story of Noufel, who was once full of enthusiasm and dreamed of a lot: a bright future with his parents, a wonderful career, just a happy life. However, children's dreams can be naive, and fate disposes so that much is not destined to come true. So it became with Noufel. A young man lives a gray life, he is alone in this huge city, which in fact may well be predatory and dangerous. Sometimes it seems that he does not have a specific goal, he has already got used to his fate and is now simply trying to survive by working as a pizza deliveryman. His dreams of becoming an astronaut or a musician are now only in his memories, which are inextricably linked with his long-gone parents.

However, everything suddenly changes when Noufel literally falls in love with a girl, or rather with her voice, when the couple communicates over the intercom on a rainy evening. And then something flares up in the guy. He tries to rekindle the flame of life in himself, suddenly realizing that he is not able to be alone in this vast world.

Another storyline is a metaphorical journey of a severed hand in search of a lost body. At first, you don't even understand what kind of brush it is, and where it is in a hurry. But, believe me, closer to the final you will definitely understand. Everyone, I think, will draw their own conclusion, both about the lonely wandering hand and about the picture as a whole.

The severed brush, as I saw it, is all of us, every single person who somehow lost something important from childhood, the ability to see the world with children's eyes, the desire to comprehend new things and the feeling that everything is possible in this world. At some point, when you are already becoming an adult, you suddenly realize that there are a lot of difficulties, prohibitions, locks that are created by society and/or by yourself. In the cartoon, as I saw it, for Noufel, the starting point of no return was the departure of his parents, who did not allow him to recover and become what he so dreamed of. He had no support, he stopped striving himself. For the audience, it can be a lot of those points that everyone will think about independently and be sure to grieve on this topic, realizing how long ago the time when he was really free has passed.

Emotions from this picture are very difficult to convey in words, and to do it in such a way as to really interest a potential viewer, but believe me, you will be able to immerse yourself in this interesting deeply personal story. There is nothing masterpiece here, the plot is quite simple, but the general concept of the work closer to the finale will allow the cartoon to unfold in a way that the highest-quality dramas sometimes do not. Maybe this is just my perception of the picture, but viewing this work will definitely not be superfluous.

The music in the movie is just gorgeous. I want to listen to it again, it allows me to remind both about the work itself and about the warm inner feeling of sadness that I experienced when watching the cartoon. Jeremy Klapen's work earned a nomination for a prestigious award, but even more it taught me personally to see my life through the prism of the flow of time, bringing together everything that once happened to us. After all, this skill makes it clear how to make your life happier when you see the life of the main character of the picture. Each of us should learn to be at least a little happier than we are today. And such works help to find the way to this happiness in our difficult times.

8 out of 10.

The animation and direction look great. A style I enjoy in both. The story though... I thought when they did the flashback of the guy that it would finally shape up... Nope. I stopped twice.

I thoroughly enjoy animation. My fav form of movie. I go into it looking for the things in everything I watch:

• animation style
• story development
• direction

Even kids films have these qualities. Its not about this being 'mature' film making, I also thoroughly enjoy most art films that others find boring and slow. (If that's to be called mature so be it.)

It's that the story seemed.. hollow. That's why his flashback was my tipping point. That fb wasn't hollow. That was good. The rest... When he begins his quest, just not enjoyable. I'm not trying a third time.

This movie is style and substance. An incredibly touching and poetic story, told in a quiet, observant tone. I cannot wait to see it again!

Nominated for Best Animated Feature at the upcoming Academy Awards, I Lost My Body (J'ai perdu mon corps) is beautifully animated & exquisitely told fantasy drama that covers a severed hand & its owner's journey to be whole again. Mainly narrated from the hand's point of view, it is a moving, melancholic & mesmerising tale of loss & longing.

Co-written & directed by Jérémy Clapin in his feature film debut, the film juggles two plot lines; one following the severed hand looking for its body, the other concerning the person that hand once belonged to, chronicling his life to the moment that led to their separation. Clapin keeps things grounded despite the fantasy elements in play, and the story is captivating throughout.

The title also makes sense, for it is the hand mourning its loss, and Clapin expertly illustrates events from that organ's perspective, even managing to create moments of nail-biting thrills with the challenges that arise. The animation is simple & serene. Voice actors skilfully articulate the emotions of their sketched characters. And Dan Levy's stirring score captures that yearning desire with heartfelt warmth.

Overall, I Lost My Body embraces the limitless creativity & imagination provided by the medium of animation to offer a touching experience that resonates with matters of heart. A sad, strange yet altogether sweet & wonderful yarn that leaves a lasting fingerprint, this hand-drawn animated story about a hand with a soul of its own may sound crazy on paper but its poignant storytelling, polished execution & stimulating score work hand-in-hand to deliver the goods.

There are 2 stories in this, and they don't really cross paths. The beautifully told romance which I think is worthy of anyone's time and the journey of the hand which really plays out like a game with the hand having to work out the puzzle to get to move forward. Watch if for sure. The ending is a bit.. I dunno.. you'll get it and say "awe"... but... Is definitely worth watching

The music is better than the film.don't get me wrong,but it's not a breathrough in filmgraphy.it's just an average movie.for the hour and a half...i don't feel that i lose something of win something