Written by Daniella Garcia. Photo courtesy of IMDb.
Initially revered as a viral sensation, “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” warmed the audience’s hearts in its charming portrayal of a tiny shell, Marcel, and his touching pursuit of finding his family. Directed and starring Dean Fleischer-Camp, and co-written by Nick Paley and Jenny Slate, the animated mockumentary integrates live-action elements to tell the story of its fictional protagonist. The story is told through the lens of Dean, a documentarian staying in the Airbnb in which Marcel and his grandmother, Connie, reside in. As Dean films and posts Marcel’s daily life online, Marcel becomes a huge sensation, gaining hope in his new following to track down his long-lost family, a community of shells like him.
From the moment the googly-eyed shell is introduced, the audience is instantly drawn into his innocent, curious and self-assured nature, as well as his hilarious dry sense of humor. The story moves forward beautifully with quick-witted vignettes weaved throughout. As much as these moments are comical and lighthearted, they are deeply sincere and resonate, leaving us to wonder how a shell can possess so much comedic insight into the world and humanity. Marcel’s innovations are refreshing to the imagination. From using a tennis ball to get around to sticking honey on his shoes to climb up walls, the innate, ordinary world of home suddenly becomes whimsical and extraordinary before our eyes.
“Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” creates a wonderment of small spaces, truly turning the micro into the macro. From the physical environments to the simple yet profound emotions Marcel contemplates along the way, the film delicately holds up a mirror for us an audience to reflect in the way Marcel does on life, family and what a real community means to us all.
