Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Connie (voiced by Isabella Rossellini) and Marcel (voiced by Jenny Slate) in Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Twelve years ago, Dean Fleischer Camp directed a trilogy of stop-motion short films around the one-eyed, two-shoed, but one hundred percent adorable Marcel the Shell (voiced by his then partner, Jenny Slate). The Marcel trilogy has a combined 50 million views to its name on YouTube. This time-capsule of virality from the earlier era of the internet (think Charlie the Unicorn, asdfmovie or Happy Tree Friends) rarely resurfaces with such elegance; the BAFTA, Oscar, and Golden Globe nominated Marcel the Shell with Shoes On proves that some lost things are often found.
Marcel is a small shell in a big world, but his world used to better. After his family is accidentally displaced, he is left to take care of his grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini). Home for Marcel is an AirBnB; when Dean – a documentary filmmaker – moves in, Marcel’s life becomes the subject of mass virality, for better or worse.
Warning! You will cry at this movie. You may not think that a mockumentary about a 1-inch sentient shell who likes to ask people if they’ve “ever tried a raspberry” would leave you ugly crying in the cinema. I would say, think again. Bring tissues.
This is a delightful movie, complete with beautifully emotional (and oftentimes hilarious) dialogue that focuses on community, fear, and natural change. At the forefront of YouTube stardom, Marcel starts to wonder how much of a community is really online, compared to the real world. After clout-chasing fans cause a serious accident in the house, opportunities to reunite himself with his estranged family cause Marcel to panic about the health of his grandmother. Change has been at the forefront of Marcel’s life, so it’s no wonder it’s terrifying.
It's not been overstated enough how great the stop-motion is, and the animation department (directed by Hi Stranger creator Kirsten Lepore) deserves full credit for how natural these living gift shop trinkets feel in the real world. Likewise, Bianca Cline’s cinematography is also especially poignant, oftentimes not the case for mockumentaries. This film contains one of the most heart-breaking and powerful shots I’ve ever seen, I was not expecting that.
This painfully belated (it’s been almost one and a half years since the film premiered at Telluride) UK release is one that was worth the wait. Overall, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is a sincere, charming, and hilariously cute story about a little guy with a big heart. To quote Marcel: you’ll smile a lot. Why? “Because it’s worth it”.
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is in UK cinemas now.
