Review: My Life As A Courgette (2016)

I've always enjoyed animated films, so this year I’ve been catching up with some films from Top 100 animation and Best Ever recommendation lists, that I’ve missed, or watched years ago.

Still from 'My Life As A Courgette'

My Life As A Courgetti (or Zucchini, depending on if you’re in the UK, or US), is a wonderfully sweet film that (according to the Guardian at the time) “despite the spectre of parental alcoholism, drug addiction and worse, this beautifully tender and empathetic film addresses kids and adults alike in clear and compassionate tones that span – and perhaps heal – generations”.

At first it seems like it’s going to be some sort of tragic misery memoir, as young ‘Courgette’ is found drawing on the walls and living in squalor with an alcoholic mum, who he accidentally kills, then is taken to a children’s home, where he begins to be bullied by the ginger kid. And there are some heartbreaking moments when the children tell us their backstories: the ginger kid, Simon’s parents ‘took drugs all the time’.   

But as it explores the trauma that the children have experienced, through their friendships and nurturing relationships with the good adults in their lives (there are also bad adults, who unusually, aren’t the ones in authority), they begin to heal. Courgette turns it around, makes friends, discovers that the bully has his reasons, gets a girlfriend, gets adopted.   

The characters have huge heads with large eyes and stuck on noses, with anaemic faces and small distorted bodies, like manga Chibis done in Claymation, via Tim Burton. The film manages to be both brightly coloured, and full of shadowy, dark moments, and there’s a fun scene on a weekend trip where they dance to Swiss techno under flashing lights.

It's an unusual film, in that it simply explains bad stuff in a way that all ages will understand (with a PG certificate).

This was director Claude Barras’ first feature, from a screenplay by Girlhood writer-director Céline Sciamma and was nominated for many awards including an Oscar, and winner of lots of awards including a Cesar. This is a truly lovely film, which celebrates friendship. Definitely worth a watch, if this is the sort of thing you like.

Available now on various online platforms.