Preview: My Life As A Courgette (2016)

After the death of his mother, of which he was partly responsible for, a young boy who will only respond when called Courgette is sent to a home for orphans. While there, he slowly makes friends with the others and when new girl Camille arrives, finds love...

There are films that you can't help falling in love with. Often they are the smaller, quieter ones. My Life As A Courgette (Ma Vie De Courgette in its original title.) is one such film. Simply put its an absolute delight.

The film is based on a novel by Gilles Paris, adapted for the screen by Celine Sciamma, Germano Zullo, Morgan Navarro and Claude Barras, with Barras also directing. The use of stop motion works well with the story, which is always about the characters. Each orphan in the story is different, with the story touching on why they are at the home, without dwelling on that, as the film is about how they bond together, with the support of compassionate, friendly staff, which is rare in films like this. Often it's a orphan/children against adult set-up but not here. It's a refreshing, welcome change.

Despite the emotional aspects of the story, there is a great deal of humour in the film, in some cases, laugh out loud funny. It's a film that touches the soul in a heartwarming way. I would be lying if I didn't get a little emotional by its end.

Before the film, in an introduction, it was commented on that the film was a hard one to sell. Personally, I think if you are a fan of Hunt For The Wilderpeople then this is a film for you. It has some similar elements to that film, as well as a nods in the direction of Room and perhaps A Monster Calls, with the idea of children and traumatic events to deal with.

My Life As A Courgette is a film that only runs for around 66 minutes or so. Yet in that 66 minutes there is not a note wrong in the film. It has more heart and emotion than many longer live action and animation film come close too. It's in French with English subtitles, which I know can be off-putting for some, but please, don't let it do that as you will regret it.

Simply put, My Life As A Courgette is one of the best films of the year.

Don't miss it.

Rating - 5/5

(Thanks to Dundee Contemporary Arts for inviting me to the special preview of the film)