Plot: What’s it about?
I don’t watch a lot of animation, but when I do I’m in complete awe. I’m not a filmmaker and most likely won’t ever be, but I really have to take my hat off to those that work in stop motion animation. The last stop motion film I viewed was the amazing Kubo and the Two Strings. Something about it moved me. It wasn’t your typical film and the fact that it was stop motion, made it all the more alluring. Enter My Life as a Zucchini. If the name sounds odd, it’s an odd film. And, oddly enough, it too was nominated for Best Animated Film along with the aforementioned Kubo…(both lost to Zootopia). I’m willing to bet that when you think of an animated movie, be it stop motion, traditional or “Pixar-ed”, you’ll think of kids, fun and a good time. My Life as a Zucchini will take that and turn it on its head. It’s a very darker film with a more real world message.
After his abusive, alcoholic mother dies, Zucchini (voiced by Erick Abbate) becomes an orphan. At only 9-years-old he’s frightened and isn’t sure what to do. However, a compassionate police officer – Raymond (voiced by Nick Offerman), takes him to a foster home with other kids who share his situation. He meets two teachers, Rosy (voiced by Ellen Page) and Mr. Paul (voiced by Will Forte), kind-hearted and all. Along with them he also encounters a bully and a young girl with whom he becomes friends. Zucchini, initially resistant to be at home, forms a support system with the other kids who help them begin the process of healing their emotional wounds.
When you have the word “alcoholic” in the first line of a plot synopsis, odds are it won’t be suited for children. But the film has a strangely positive message and it does contain some real-world issues that, sadly, some of today’s pre-teens have to deal with. Running a scant 67 minutes there was certainly room for some increased character development, but when each shot takes about a day to complete, I can’t really fault the filmmakers for the running time. The film has a good variety of top notch voice talent and a rather interesting story to tell. There is some talk of sex which garners the film its PG-13 rating, but it’s nothing that the little ones probably haven’t heard before. This one lives up to the hype and is well worth checking out.
Video: How’s it look?
One look at the cover art and it’s clear that this will be a bright and colorful film. And it is. The included 1.78:1 AVC HD image simply sparkles with primary colors from beginning to end. It’s a fine-looking film and I still shudder when I think of all the work that goes into a stop-motion movie. If you can get past the exaggerated expressions on the characters’ faces, it looks like most any other animated film out there. But the brights are bright, simple and elegant sets compliment the main characters. There were a few blips here and there and I caught a bit of inconsistency with banding in a scene, but other than that – it looks great. Viewers won’t be disappointed.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The film, originally French in origin, comes to Blu-ray with dual DTS HD Master Audio tracks. My French is pas bon (not good), so I did choose to listen to the English track with voices that sounded oh so familiar. But if French is your thing – knock yourself out. Admittedly, this isn’t the most robust track, there are some ambient surround effects that permeate, but it’s a front-heavy track with dialogue taking front and center (so to speak). It’s a good effort, but this one is an instance in which the sound doesn’t need to knock pictures off the wall to make its point.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- The Making of My Life As A Zucchini – In French with English subtitles, we get a pretty broad overview of the making of the film. It’s got all the bases covered with the concept, drawing the film, the source material and the like. Like the film itself, it could have been longer, but it gets the message across just fine.
- The Genie in a Tin of Ravioli Short Film – In the same vein as the film itself, we get another, even shorter, film.
- Theatrical Trailer
The Bottom Line
There are some fine films out there and some thwart convention. This is one of them. Thankfully the Academy did recognize this and it was nominated for Best Animated Film. Yes, it didn’t win, but the exposure was well worth it. It’s a kids movie with some very grown up themes, but they all work together very well. The Blu-ray looks and sounds good, though it’s a bit light on the supplements. Still, it’s worth a watch.
