Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

I guess 2021's MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON is ultimately just too cute for me.  By about the fifteen minute mark I found my mind wandering, imagining different, more creative scenarios for our adorable little protagonist.  I felt guilty for doing so, realizing this was a rare contemporary film that was full of light and optimism, yet one that doesn't shy away from life's sometimes unpleasant relational dynamics.  A film suitable for family viewing that isn't merely an hour and a half toy advertisement or sickening polemic of some variety.  And with good old fashioned stop motion animation.  

Marcel is a tiny shell who lives in an Air bnb with his grandmother, Nana Connie.   The home's human occupants - along with Marcel's family - disappeared some time ago.  A documentary filmmaker named Dean moves in and decides he has his next piece - a day to day account of the one inch tall talking shells and their resourcefulness as they manage their way across the household and the garden outside.  Dean (Dean Fleischer Camp, who cowrote and directed) becomes friends with the shells, who perhaps inadvertently help him deal with his impending divorce.  The videos, one of which is a livestream which Marcel uses to ask where his family has gone, become YouTube sensations and soon fans are taking selfies in front of the house.  Of course, these strangers are more interested in themselves than Marcel and Connie and their mission. 

And then 60 Minutes calls, looking for a unique cover story.  This is particularly exciting as Marcel and Connie are big fans, especially of commentator Lesley Stahl.   But as Connie's physical and mental health are failing, Marcel is reluctant.   The rest is for you to discover.

MARCEL THE SHELL... is an expansion of short films created by Camp and Jenny Slate, who voices Marcel.  A voice I have to admit got a wee bit annoying.   I would imagine it all works better in the short format, though Camp's pacing is brisk enough.  The film has plenty of ingenuity, too.  The animation was handled by the Chiodo Bros. Production house, who gave the world KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE many years ago.  It merges naturally and seamlessly with live action, as far as I could see.  I was not looking for perspective and accurate shadow casting and such.  Marcel perfectly embodies the real world, and all its literal and figurative messes, and while I wasn't exactly won over by him or the movie, I find I am glad that something so sweet and poetic exists these days.  I imagine this film will be some sort of antidote for many viewers to all the dark and dour offerings at the cinema and through streaming channels.

Also, kudos to Isabella Rossellini for her moving performance as Nana Connie.