Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

The difference between Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, and DC's League of Super-Pets is the difference between a children's movie and a family film.  A children's movie (like Super-Pets) is mainly catered to younger audiences, but can be enjoyed by adults on a certain level.  A family film like Marcel speaks to adults on their level, while appealing to kids on a completely different level, and can even be enjoyed by an adult audience on their own without the presence of children.

Based on a series of short films created by comedian Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer Camp, this is a quiet and absorbing little fantasy that ends up being one of my favorite films of the summer season, if not the year.  The film is set up as a documentary, where a young filmmaker named Dean (played by Camp, who directed, and co-wrote the film with Slate) moves into an Airbnb after he breaks up with his girlfriend, and discovers a tiny one-inch-tall shell named Marcel (voice by Slate) living within, who is brought to life by ingenious stop motion animation provided by the famous Chiodo Bros. Special Effects Studio, who have done work for everything from the original RoboCop to Elf.  Marcel himself is an instantly endearing creation; Vulnerable, curious, and a bit sad, as he has lost the rest of his family after the original couple who lived in the house broke up, and unknowingly took them away in a suitcase where they were hiding while the couple argued.

The only one of his kind Marcel has left is his grandmother Connie (voice by Isabella Rossellini), who like him has a natural curiosity about the world outside their home, and an addiction to watching 60 Minutes on television. (They both admire Lesley Stahl, "because she is fearless".) Fascinated by these shells that have created their own community around the home, Dean begins filming and uploading videos of them on line, which become viral sensations.  Eventually, Marcel decides he wants to use this publicity in order to find out what became of the rest of his family, and where they ended up.  From this simple premise, the film weaves a magic spell over its audience that manages to create a sense of whimsy, joy, sorrow, and discovery that few films even attempt.

A more traditional movie would treat this premise as a road trip to discover the whereabouts of Marcel's family, and while that is a plot point in the film, that is not the central focus.  Rather its main theme is a universal one of facing fears, learning to live with change, and accepting that what we cannot control.  The way that Marcel handles these tricky themes in a way that is engaging for both children and adults is nothing short of brilliant.  The movie has an overall melancholy tone that comes through at times.  Timid little Marcel is so small, a piece of lint can be a beloved pet. (He names it Alex.) He shares his hopes, dreams, and even fears in a series of interviews with Dean.  He loves to sing, and is afraid of washing machines, as he had a cousin once who was hiding in a person's pocket that was thrown in the washer, and he never came out.  

There is such a personal and tender atmosphere to this film that really took me by surprise.  A lot of movies aimed at adults don't usually match the sense of empathy and emotion that we get here.  When we first see Marcel and Connie interacting with the human world, we immediately buy it, thanks to the wonderful effects work on display.  I never once questioned what I was looking at, or tried to figure out how these sequences were being done.  That is the true goal of any special effects film, and one that few achieve.  I was immediately drawn in, and not once did the spell the story was weaving lose its effect on me.  But more than the effects, the screenplay is the real wonder here.  It understands that we need to fully buy into Marcel and his world in order for it to work, and it's quite astonishing how easily it is to just completely be wrapped into this little character, and the emotion that Camp and Slate have given it, not forgetting the endearing voice performance Slate gives.

A lot of films entertain me, but Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is the rare film that truly brought me joy, and lifted my spirits.  This is a wonderful movie that you should go out of your way to see as it begins to expand across the country.  In a world of Minions and Super-Pets, here is a quiet and graceful film that reminds us the true power that animation can have.

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