this is the first animated movie i've watched in a VERY long time. maybe even years honestly but this has got to be one of the best! im a big fan of claymation simply because the realistic textures and 3d elements add a whole other dimension of depth and pops it out of the usual abstract animation we're used to. anyways this movie was made in french and follows the story of this young orphaned boy (nicknamed zucchini), who joins an orphanage and experiences life with the other kids there. it's a very touching movie, and i felt like it truly tackled such heavy subjects with a lot of tact and with a positive outlook, which was very impressive to me
id say the title and my first impression of it was actually very misleading LOL i expected to watch a very happy and joyful movie given the vibrant colours and the kooky-looking characters, but i was proven wrong!! it still is a children's movie i'd say, but i don't think it discounts the weight the plot and character backstories hold. instead, it injects hope into the storyline and kind of portrays it through a very innocent and childlike lens, which is pretty appropriate considering the story is centered around these young orphans. i think it's actually impressive how so much emotional depth can be achieved with such simple dialogue and scenes. claude barras truly is a master of this and the film was very artful in this aspect
something i paid attention to during the movie would be the portrayal of adults. considering a big theme was child neglect or generational trauma, i loved that a good mix of adult characters was added. in fact, i found it quite meaningful that the "bad" adults aka their biological parents are mostly portrayed merely through spoken descriptions from the children or short, faceless cameos, while the "good" adults aka foster parents or orphanage caretakers were constantly shown to be present, positive influences. i think this also highlights how while their biological parents might not always be in the picture, their impact on their children certainly is lasting and permanent
for a 66 minute film it packed a lot of punch and im really amazed at how barras could create such poignant scenes, shots and even running gags in such little time. all the elements of the film really worked together to create a meaningful and thought-provoking experience for the viewers! me personally i was laughing and crying throughout the film LOL
- j