With an opening scene of a pool of blood slowly seeping toward a buzzing fly, “J’ai Perdu Mon Corps” (I Lost My Body), shown at the 2019 Milwaukee Film Festival, instantly demands attention.
The animated film is directed by Jérémy Clapin and written by the same writers of the cult classic “Amélie.“
“J’ai Perdu Mon Corps” simultaneously follows two stories. The first story is that of Naoufel, a Parisian delivery boy who finds himself falling in love. The film also follows another story set slightly later in time, that of Naoufel’s severed hand scurrying around the streets of Paris in search of its body. Clapin also includes memories of Naoufel’s childhood throughout the film, differentiated by the use of a black and white monochromatic color scheme rather than the color used in the majority of the film.
While the film’s animation style is simple and suggests a predictable, cute story, Clapin includes scenes of intense action, humor, and romance: all of the classic ingredients for a gripping piece of cinema. As the film moves rapidly from one scene to the next, the audience can’t help but keep their eyes on the screen.
“J’ai Perdu Mon Corps” is a Netflix original movie, set for release the United States on Netflix on Nov. 15, 2019.