Despite being small in scale, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is a profound and moving film that has a lot to say about loss, community, and the little things in life.
Overall Score: 9/10
Image: A24
“My name is Marcel, and I'm partially a shell as you can see on my body, but I also have shoes, and, um, a face. So, I like that about myself, and I like myself, and I have a lot of other great qualities as well.”
Of all the movies I’ve seen this year, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On has got to be one of my absolute favorites. It’s a mockumentary that follows Marcel, a tiny anthropomorphic shell who lives with Nana Connie, his grandmother. The two are filmed by Dean, a guest who’s staying at the Airbnb where they live. One day, Marcel explains that there was once a much larger shell community, but that the rest of the group had been suddenly taken from them. In an attempt to help him, Dean posts videos of Marcel online and in doing so inspires hope in the little shell: hope that he will be able to finally find and reunite with his family.
Now, usually, I’d expect a film as cute and as simple as this to be just that. In other words, I’d only expect it to charm me and put a smile on my face. To my surprise, however, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On turned out to be so much more. It deals with several important themes — effortlessly, I might add — and it does so gently and without being heavy-handed.
“Marcel, how long has it been since you've seen your family?” So asks 60 Minutes host Lesley Stahl during an interview with Marcel, to which the latter replies, “I couldn't tell you, but a space in my heart gets bigger and louder every day.”
As the above dialogue suggests, one of the things this movie explores is the importance of communities and the relationships we share with others. Much like Marcel, humans need to feel like they belong to something bigger. Marcel is a shell, yes, but his feelings of isolation and loneliness mirror what we feel when we’re separated from our social groups or our friends and family. A sense of community is vital to each person, especially in today’s COVID-19-ridden world. I myself have often felt lonely during these trying times, and so for me, the timing of this film and its reminder that we should try our best to maintain our connections with others couldn’t have been any better.
Another thing the movie tackles is loss. Over the course of my life, I’ve lost several people whom I’ve held dear, and so I know all too well what it’s like to have to bear the resulting emotional pain. This is another reason why this film really spoke to me as it does a good job of dealing with the loss of a loved one. Watching Marcel cope with grief made me feel like I was re-experiencing the same emotions I had felt many times before. Grieving is not fun, but the movie comforts both Marcel and us, the audience, by telling us that it and loss are all just a part of life. We lose people we love all the time, but what’s important is that we find a way to move on. And to make things easier, we can find comfort, like Marcel does, in the idea that they’ll always be there with us spiritually and that they’ll continue to look after us.
The last major thing the film touches on is how we should appreciate the little things in life. Marcel finds joy in a bunch of small things like having fun while taking shelter from and watching corn kernels turn into popcorn, skating atop a dust-covered tabletop, spending time with his grandmother, and listening to the sound of the wind blowing through his shell. By showing us all of this, the movie reminds us to stop every now and then to enjoy the things we often neglect, which is important, especially in the tense and stress-filled world of today.
Before I sign off, I have to talk about Jenny Slate’s exceptional vocal performance in this film. Slate has a very unique voice, and so typically, whenever I hear her, I know exactly who it is I’m listening to. Here, as Marcel, however, she’s almost unrecognizable — and I never would’ve guessed that it was her had I not known that she was playing this character beforehand. Slate imbues Marcel with a childlike innocence through the use of a soft, high-pitched, and trembly voice. And when added with the appearance of the character, the result is something so adorable and so endearing it’s impossible to resist. Aside from this, I should also mention that Isabella Rossellini does a fine job as Nana Connie. She brings a sense of wisdom and kindness to the role of this aging shell, and, like Marcel, I ended up really caring for her.
At first glance, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On may merely seem like another typical family-friendly movie. But as you watch it, you’ll discover that it’s actually much more. It explores a number of heavy themes, though it does so by navigating these topics in a very gentle and delicate manner, remaining true to its titular character’s childlike nature. This film will make you smile, laugh, and probably also make you cry — do yourself a favor and prepare a box of tissues. But most importantly, it’ll teach you to see the world differently and hopefully remind you to cherish the things and people around you while you still can.
Comments