I had saved this for last among the 2016 Academy Best Animated Feature nominees, not just because it wasn't immediately available but because I didn't think it looked good. What a weirdly colored protagonist. Fortunately, the appearances are easier to take once you see them in (stop) motion. Besides, I don't let unrealistic art prevent my viewings.
Not having read the book, I still don't know why nine-year-old Icare's mother nicknamed him "Zucchini" (or, without dubbing over the French, "Courgette," which adds to the strangeness by sounding more feminine than he is). Regardless, after she dies, he insists on retaining the nickname no matter how others react to it. He's big on mementos of her and his estranged father, loutish as they appear to have been. But in his life at the orphanage, he finds importance in things not left in the past, not least the new pretty girl, Camille....
I've come to realize that foreign studios are far more amenable than Hollywood to animating stories that don't qualify as fantasy or science fiction (see also Wrinkles, Chico y Rita, and Mary and Max). Nothing tricky to depict in live action happens herein. It's simply a stylistic choice to make events more interesting and/or palatable. Works for me.
While we get some familiar talent among the English-language adult voice actors -- Ellen Page, Will Forte, Nick Offerman, Amy Sedaris -- the main draw of the movie lies in the seven orphans, voiced by real kids. They basically all have different psychological issues. Zucchini, for instance, initially denies that his mom is dead. Actually, he doesn't talk much more than young Chiron. Nor does he really stand out from the rest, apart from being most in the spotlight.
Second most attention goes to Simon, possibly the oldest of the bunch. He's a bit of a bully to everyone else, yet he also manages to be a fair-weather friend to all. Certainly the closest male friend to Zucchini. I was rarely sure what to expect from him.
Yet Camille provides the bulk of the plot to an otherwise episodic 68-minute film. It's not just the budding kiddie romance: Having the harshest backstory, she'll do anything to stay away from her aunt, who wants custody only for financial benefits. Good thing the other adults understand about as well as the other kids.
Despite the youthful focus, Wikipedia describes MLaaZ as an adult animation. It does garner a PG-13 rating and get into a territory I haven't seen in any American family animation. Apart from the inherent darkness of having dead/bad parents, the kids talk about sex a bit, and Zucchini draws nudity. They have an imperfect understanding, of course, but it's just graphic enough to cause some consternation among parents. Probably nothing by Swiss/French standards, but I'm leaving the family tag off.
It's worth noting that the same aspects giving the story heft as a drama also enable many comical moments. In fact, the overall feeling isn't nearly as unhappy as above details suggest. It gets sweet. Even "bittersweet" is a stretch.
MLaaZ wasn't much of an Oscar contender in light of the competition, but I do put it ahead of The Red Turtle. You'll probably find it pleasant, and it certainly shouldn't try your patience.
Note: If you stay for the mid-credit scene, you'd better switch from dubbing to subtitles if you haven't already, because it's strictly French. It's a starting interview with the boy who would go on to voice the lead in the original audio -- and they went ahead and animated Zucchini mouthing his responses, which are pretty funny.
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