‘Marcel the shell with shoes on’ review

‘Marcel the Shell with Shoes On’ is a highhearted delighted from the minds of Dean Fleischer Camp and Jenny Slate. Marcel First appeared in 2010 via a viral Youtube series and has not been adapted into a feature length which touches on the importance of family. Having lost most of his family Marcel lives with his grandmother in a large house which is now Airbnb.  He makes do with a can-do attitude and determined resourcefulness, never failing to charm even in times of despair.  

It is a delight to see Marcel brought to life through stop motion, just as it is every time, I see this technique utilised. Pairing the animation style with thoughtful framing gives Marcel a weight that is difficult to describe. It is very easy to suspend reality and become engrossed in the simple life of a shell. It is effortless to see Marcel as a living breathing creature. The overarching narrative story is both whimsical and deeply heartfelt simultaneously. Particularly impressive is that every laugh is earned. We continuously laugh and smile with Marcel and never at him. At times I even felt that there were things I could learn from the naive little shell.

You should watch this film when you can, it is uplifting and light without ever becoming dismissible as nonsense.