Twitter. Clocking in at a mere 66 minutes long, you’d be forgiven for expecting something frothy and whimsical to go along with the eye-catchingly colourful character design. Rating: 5/5. Pinterest. Certificate: PG. Simon Hooper - 30th May 2017. Share this. My Life as a Zucchini is devoid of the exaggerated expressions of emotion found so often in Disney and is instead full of realistic characters who often display emotion with subtlety and nuance. “We’re all the same – there’s no one left to love us,” concludes Simon, in yet another moment of intense sadness. The occasionally mature subject matter -- including the death of Zucchini's alcoholic mother and references to sex, abuse, violence, suicide, deportation, and other reasons children end up in state care -- makes the … Reviews; My Life as a Courgette – REVIEW. Each character is realised with deceptively simple strokes: Simon, the supposed bully with a telltale scar whose parents “took drugs all the time”; Jujube/Georgie, whose mother “went completely nuts” and made him eat toothpaste; Ahmed, the “girlie who wets his bed” as a result of post-traumatic stress; and Alice, who hides her haunted eyes behind a shock of yellow hair and has nightmares about the “real creep” dad who’s now in jail. A torn family photo establishes the absence of a father, a blank space on to which Courgette has projected fantastical dreams of a superdad. An unfortunate accident leaves him orphaned, and he ends up being accompanied to an orphanage by a kind and sympathetic police officer, Raymond. In Retrospect. The stop … Starring. Directed by feature first-timer Claude Barras from a screenplay by Girlhood writer-director Céline Sciamma, this tale of resilient children surviving abuse and abandonment may sound tough and unpalatable. There are hints to love, and hints to violence, but it is told from the perspective of a 10 yrs old, just in case you wish as a parent to watch the film first. Wilfully odd titled film aren’t always what their titles might lead you to believe so anyone expecting the adventures of Colin Courgette and his friend Percy Parnsip will find that courgette is the nickname of a young boy being bought up by his alcoholic single mother who dies in a … We first meet nine-year-old Icare, nicknamed Courgette, alone in his room, surrounded by crayons and empty beer cans, the detritus of a dysfunctional home life. Claude Barras makes his feature debut with the intriguingly titled My Life as a Courgette. Quite whether children will take to this story remains to be seen; it deals with some tough themes after all. Following a successful festival run, the english-dubbed version of the film features a stellar cast including Will Forte, Nick Offerman, Ellen Page and Amy Sedaris.While the film speaks for itself, this casting and the performances really bring it to … Last modified on Wed 21 Mar 2018 23.51 GMT. This French animation sadly has nothing to do with talking vegetables, but that disappointment will swiftly be forgotten. Sciamma cites the Dardenne brothers as influential, while Barras acknowledges sources ranging from Bambi to The 400 Blows. Courgette (Zucchini) is an intriguing nickname for a 9-year-old boy. You will receive a verification email shortly. Whatever the sources, the end result is wholly remarkable, whether in subtitled French or the English-dubbed version. My Life as a Courgette is a 2016 Swiss and French stop motion ‘adult animated comedy-drama’ film directed by Claude Barras and based on a novel by Gilles Paris.. Share this. 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