My Life As A Zucchini (*****)

Childhood is a mysterious time of discovery. Oftentimes we might look back upon it as a time of innocence before the realities of life find us. The fascination in a movie like this is that sometimes children are forced to grow up much faster than they want. Set in an orphanage for children faced with the loss of their parents, this is a story about children who are faced with the fact that they may not ever find love in their lives again, and it's a semi-sweet tragic thing to watch.

The story follows Zucchini (Courgette in the original French dub), a quiet boy with blue hair who lives alone with his alcoholic mother. He spends most of his time flying his kite, a keepsake of his deceased father, and playing in his lonely attic room. There is an accident in which his mother dies, an accident that Zucchini feels blame for. A social worker sympathizes with his story and brings him to a secluded orphanage where he finds a new home among 6 other children. Their stories are varied and unique. All of them are children with a damaged past and their own unique ticks.

At first Zucchini faces the scorn of Simon, a red-headed child who at first persists as a bully and then we come to see him through a new light. Another young girl has a constant tick and bangs her fork against her dinner plate. Another rushes to greet any visitor at the front door, expecting to be reunited with her deported mother. A new girl named Camille is dropped off at the orphanage. Zucchini is stricken, eyes alight for the first time since arriving. It's not as much of a love story as it is a story about understanding. The two begin talking, discussing their past and their futures. Where the other children see Zucchini as just another kid, Camille finds a kindred spirit.

The barely hour-long movie flows by with joy, not a moment too short and yet it leaves us wanting to know these characters more. Zucchini and the world he lives in is geometric, disproportioned. The characters balance enormous heads with reddened ears and noses. It might be hideous if not for the great depth the characters are given. The look becomes endearing. It's a perfect contrast to the story, perhaps one we have heard a hundred times before. There isn't anything overly-clever in the way we learn of orphaned children coming to find happiness, but told in this visual style is a treat in every way possible.

My Life As A Zucchini was nominated (and lost) for Best Animated Feature at last year's Oscars, and it's a shame that a tiny movie like this was unable to gain more traction across the board. It has been given a limited release across the US with an English dub (with familiar voices like Nick Offerman and Ellen Page) and hopefully will be seen by more people. This movie is simply a gem.