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.
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