1/27/2020 - I Lost My Body (2019) 8-/10

What a fantastic film. An Addams Family Thing meets Enter the Void and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, all animated and brilliant. Just a completely entrancing mix of bizarre adventure, a cinematic interpretation of sense memory, a coming of age romance: its a heartbreaking work of not quite staggering genius. It is fascinating, really letting us “feel” each finger movement, scratch, sand pebble, etc. there is a magical empathy at work here that rarely translates in film. Such a unique narrative at play, but they also did a fantastic job of weaving this “touching” story with this insane (metaphorical/real?) journey of a separated hand.

The animation style is not so terribly advanced, but I appreciated the relative grit, and besides, the story & emotion was the true aim, not some modern aesthetic dressing. It was an engrossing odyssey, whimsical, somber, and constantly provocative. This was a real treat and an an ambiguously impactful animated feature. The best of the year, whether it wins any awards or not.