Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Slate, Camp, and the rest of the crew find a human heart, relatability, and universality to a shell. They’ve mastered the homey, comfy tone by now, making it so you truly feel with and for Marcel, laugh with him, and cry with him. What could’ve gotten away with just being a- very funny- vehicle for warm jokes instead harnesses real life elements to show the power of community and family, the heartbreak of separation, the joy of creativity, and the importance of the connections around us. The displacement of Marcel’s family harkens to Slate’s Jewish heritage, as does one song he plays, while Camp’s character pulls from the divorce between them. If Marcel was just a funny shell, it’d still be a very charming and funny film. But they put their heart into him, and that heart and lack of cynicism and distance bleed off the screen. It is engaged and committed to Marcel, and so we are too. Slate knows him so well, plays him perfectly so that his voice can pull out a laugh or pull your heartstrings without ever losing consistency or earnestness. That third act got to me.

Even as Camp and Slate go separate ways, Dean and Marcel stay connected. And so, they do too. So do we all. Even-or especially- as change comes, the world moves through us like the wind through Marcel, and that ties us together. All we have to do is go high enough and look.

Strong 9: This film delves into the themes of mortality and the zest for life. It strikes a delicate balance between the joy and the pain of connections, weaving a narrative that is as much about confronting the inevitability of death as it is about embracing the beauty of living. It stands out as a celebration of life, highlighting the importance of family and the resilience of the human spirit, making it a touching reminder to make the most of every moment we have.

Rated a Connor 10, normal 8.7

i love you marcel <3

Pulls out every emotion you have all in 90 minutes — the good the bad and the ugly. We’ll done.

So wonderful. Oh my heart...

Incredibly heartwarming and equally well-written and acted. I absolutely loved this story.

The smartest thing in this adaptation as a feature film is not to fall into the temptation of the sequel and reinvent the character while referring to the most iconic situations of the short films. There is a greater amplitude, necessary, that incorporates characters like Marcel's grandmother, an Isabella Rossellini who reminds us of her surreal series "Green porno" (2008). But the improvised dialogues on which the film's narrative was designed introduce smart reflections such as mourning, the repercussions of success or personal relationships. It is significant that the main objective of Marcel is to reunite his family, while the human characters are marked by separation: that of the couple who lived in the house, and that of the director himself, who rents it out before moving out. It is also the first time that Marcel realizes that his world is part of other worlds, that the house is one of those that make up a city, that it is one of many that are part of the planet. And yet, his diminutive perspective offers an insightful and humorous look on the pleasure of enjoying the far corners of something called home.

Little predictable (this really could’ve been made by Disney if the window dressing and artistic approach were more conventional), but very cute, funny and heartwarming. It’s like somebody watched _Honey I Shrunk the Kids_ or _Ant Man_ and realized there’s still a lot of untapped potential by looking at the world from a micro perspective. The characters are wonderful, music and directing are fantastic, the animation and worldbuilding are very fun, it’s a blast overall. I just wish it took some more risk with the storytelling.

8/10

Didn't know a shell could provide such a profound view of life. Marcel is a real one, literally deserves everything.