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.

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?

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.

"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.

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.

A beautifully tragic film.

The story lines don't join up to the end. The hand roaming through Paris is plain silly (and boring). We're supposed to feel sorry for a stalker? You get locked up in this country for that sort of behaviour. I mean the film was "OK". But methinks a few critics fawned all over it and the pack followed suit. It's the Emperors New Clothes - but wait, get this suckers - it's animated AND in French. So it just has to be fantastic! Right? Err... No, not really.

Original and captivating. Great animation! Wonderful movie!

Really beautiful and sad French anime. Must.

Ich habe meinen Körper verloren, ist ein Animationsfilm von Jérémy Clapin. Die Geschichte ist eine freie Verfilmung des Romans Happy Hand von Guillaume Laurant. Die Handlung erzählt von einer abgetrennten Hand, die aus der Pathologie flieht und entschlossen ist, ihren Körper wiederzufinden… Der Film besitzt zwei parallele Handlungsstränge, die sich geschickt und gekonnt ergänzen… Ich bin völlig ergriffen, wie schön, zugleich rührend und emotional uns die Geschichte erzählt wird… Die Animation wird mit ausgezeichneter Musik (von Dan Levy) und mit passenden Songs untermalt, dadurch entsteht eine einmalige Dramaturgie. Ich habe meinen Körper verloren, ist ein qualitativ hochwertiger Film und ist in jeder Hinsicht sehenswert.

I love the way this movie looks and sounds. The story is pretty good, but it's hard not to get frustrated with the stupidity of the the lead character at times, as well as his creepy stalker qualities. All he had to do was never mention that pizza delivery and he would have been fine.

Another romanticized stalker creep story. If you thought this is love, ask yourself if you are a stalker or have a thing for stalkers

An actual masterpiece

One of those movies that purposely want to hit your unconscious. It has to be watched properly

French film that is made accessible internationally through Netflix. I found myself so emotionally invested in this film: a romantic, sad and macabre film all at once. The theme of loss is really strong, and interesting the way the film flips this on its head to explore loss through the limb that is separated. The score is haunting and beautiful. A really good watch.

The French film I Lost my Body, takes you through a wild ride of emotions and suspense challenging what fate is, and if or if not, it is real. Throughout the animated film directed by Jeremy Clapin you follow two different perspectives, one of a severed hand indescribably named Rosalie who faces difficulty getting to where she wants to get, and the other of the orphaned kid of the severed hand named Naoufel. After first seeing the memory of Naoufel's life as a child the film transitions to Rosalie breaking out of her containment. From seeing her escape, you quickly can see how she is disconnected from society and is similar with Naoufel who loves "nothing," in a figurative way. Clapin shows the connection with Rosalie and Naoufel with the scene of Rosalie being mesmerized by a blind man's piano playing while trying to escape his apartment. The scene transitions to a desired memory of Naoufel playing the piano in front of a crowed. Clapin helps tell the story through his use of repetition and the use of hardships both the Rosalie and Naoufel had to face throughout their adventure. For example, in the beginning you see Naoufel playing with an astronaut, then later in the film you see an astronaut holding a white flag in the eyes of Rosalie as if it is trying to tell Rosalie to give up. He also uses a fly which gives the impression of foreshadowing that something bad is about to happen. Progressing to the following Naoufel you understand the struggle he goes through with being an orphaned child and still feeling like he has not found what he truly wants. Until he finds himself falling in love with a girl by the name of Gabrielle just over the intercom after he failed a pizza delivery for her. He finds himself then following her which ends up hurting himself. In the end Naoufel propels himself across a building onto a crane looking over seeing "nothing," but the horizon. He realizes what his fate is and why he is alive. So, that leaves the question, "do you believe in fate?"

I Lost My Body was truly fascinating. The animation was not distracting and the music score was simply lovely. The empathy evoked from watching the hand experience life in such a courageous way that the owner never had was simply breath taking at times. Watching a piano being played, silently communicating with an astronaut, riding the wind on an umbrella, risking danger, taking comfort in the warmth of a sleeping baby's handgrip, and finding home again (even if no longer needed) was a true adventure. In the end, the owner who had experienced so much loss, was able to "re-record" over the past and take a courageous leap into the present. Thrilling moments intertwined with the mundane reminiscent of real Life was really well done!

The protagonist of this movie is really strong inside. If I had encountered so many hardships, I would be quite negative.

Xilam Animation's French-language animated feature-length film I Lost My Body is very aesthetic, powerful, and brings pure life to our world.

This 80-minute French animated film is a painfully human and melancholy exploration of love, the human connection, and the underappreciated importance of being able to feel and interact with people and the world around us. Its inventive, clever, beautifully written plot is elevated by simply-sketched animation that is visually striking and powerfully communicative, as well as enjoyable, authentic vocal performances.