In present day Paris, a severed hand escapes from a laboratory. It makes it’s way across the city in search for Naoufel, who the arm was previously attached to. Meanwhile, we see Naoufel’s early life and his infatuation with a girl called Gabrielle.
I’m not a fan of almost all modern day animation. I find its computer generated images not lifelike and soulless. ‘I Lost My Body’ is pleasantly old fashioned. The hand drawn animation is beautiful and it’s not only a treat for the eyes as Dan Levy has contributed a magnificently varied score. The adventures of the hand as it encounters curious pigeons, hungry rats, and a large dog on its travels may sound bizarre, but I found myself really going with it.
The love story element does not work quite as well. It is easy to understand how Naoufel falls for Gabrielle after only taking to her on her flat intercom. But his inability to talk to her and his stalker behaviour as a result is a little frustrating. That is especially true when she finds out, reacting with disgust that responds to like a petulant child.
Jeremy Clapin’s film is beautiful to look at and has a lot to recommend it, but ultimately may have worked better as a short.
‘I Lost My Body’ has a limited cinema run and is also available on Netflix.
Rating: 7 out of 10