Jens B
A truly beautifully crafted film about a severed hand searching for its owner. Through flashbacks, we experience the time before the hand was severed. It mixes action/adventure elements with romance, grief-solving, and character studies. It mostly works, but the pacing is occasionally a bit distracting, and the story doesn't tell much more than the process of letting go and growing up, or even a bit of adulting. But when all of this is presented in such a quirky yet insightful package as this, you can't go wrong with a curiosity-based watch.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
04/23/25
Full Review
Sarfaraz A
Jeremy Clapin co-wrote and directed this French animation drama, which is based on Guillaume Laurent's novel "Happy Hand" (who also co-wrote the screenplay). The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. It was also nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards. Voiceovers by Hakim Faris, Victoire du Bois, and others. Dan Levy composed the mesmerizing and enchanting music score.
The film is told in a non-linear format. A severed hand of Naoufel escapes from the medical lab and journeys to its owner. On the travel, it encounters rodents, pigeons, a drunk guy, a rapidly approaching subway train, insects, traffic, and so on. Meanwhile, the hand recalls memories of its owner from childhood to maturity, which are exhibited to the audience.
The main story is around a young Moroccan boy named Naoufel who aspires to be an astronaut but also enjoys learning the piano from his mother. His parents are killed in a car accident, and Naoufel is transferred to live with his uncle and cousin in France, where he works as a pizza delivery guy. He is frequently chastised for causing damage to the pizza business, which has to provide free pizza as a result of his 20-minute late delivery owing to disturbance on the street, or vice versa.
One such delivery to a young girl causes him to become captivated with the enchanting conversation over the intercom with the girl, whom he is unable to reach due to a malfunctioning intercom door. He pledges to meet her and get to know her by taking a job at her ailing uncle's abandoned workshop, where he loses his right hand to a wood cutting machine.
The film kept me motionless from the outset. Its fascinating music score when memories are recalled transported me out of space. The story of a jinxed young man who lost his loving and caring parents and ended up with a demented relatives.
For most of the film, I was hoping that the severed hand would be re-attached. Another notion occurred to me: perhaps the owner died as a result of this catastrophe, or after seeing the half-story, he committed suicide due to the loss of his love interest. However, the last act, in which the audience discovers that the tape has been overrun by new recordings, shows that he has given up on his past recollections. He leaps from skyscraper onto a crane, implying that he has come to terms with his new self. Even then, this isn't enough. What about Gabrielle, his love interest, who has returned to him?
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
03/29/25
Full Review
Andrea M
Anything said about this movie will be a spoiler. That said, I think the ending is classically French. Watch enough French movies and you’ll know what I mean. Tres decevant.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/01/25
Full Review
Jay W
"I Lost my Body" is split into two main stories. The one that gives the movie its title is about a disembodied hand that wanders around the city looking for its home. Along the way the hand is attacked by rats, pigeons and falls down a whole lot. The other story is a more run of the mill rom com set up. A pizza delivery boy hits it off with a girl while talking through an apartment building intercom. The boy then tracks down the girl to get to know her better and hijinks ensue.
Starting with the hand story: It is difficult to root for the hand; it takes several falls but walks away unharmed. It made me think, is there anything that could actually hurt this hand? The hand also kills a bird and nest of eggs, so it isn't the most likable of protagonists. It is also unclear what the goal of the hand is. Is it trying to find its way back to its body? If that's the case, it could have been done a lot easier. What is sad about the movie is the part with the hand walking around like it's "Thing" from the Addams Family is the more unique and engaging part of the story.
The story about the romance, is pretty frustrating and forgettable. It is the same dumb "our whole relationship is based on a lie" cliché that I am sick to death of seeing. But the reaction on this lie is likely the dumbest. Instead of being a pizza delivery boy, he says he's a sushi delivery boy. Oh no?
And yes, I get the "message" the movie is going for. Its talks of destiny and trying to go a new path are not lost on me. But a good message does not a good movie make. This movie is well animated and unique in some ways. But on the other hand...its positives do not outweigh its negatives.
Rated 1.5/5 Stars •
Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars
12/02/24
Full Review
Cristian s
Una historia de superación, bastante plana pero que entretiene. Una animación bastante simple pero interesante, especialmente porque parece (en su mayoría) realizada a mano. Linda banda sonora que es bastante crucial en su desarrollo. Tiene algún concepto creepy (si, estoy hablando de cuando sigue a la chica) y resulta predecible en general. Esta bien pero no creo que sea para todo el mundo.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
09/12/24
Full Review
Oaklee D
A beautifully tragic film.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
08/06/24
Full Review
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