Dean Fleischer-Camp’s “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On”

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021)

A touching, often profound story of community and loss whose sweetness is balanced by an air of melacholy

It’s not often that a family friendly film comes along which dares to admit that things change and sometimes that’s good and sometimes that’s not so good but it’s inevitable. This film is a mockumentary told through the lens of Dean(director Dean Fleischer Camp), a recent divorcee and documentary filmmaker who discovers Marcel(Jenny Slate) after moving into an Airbnb. Marcel is precisely what it says on the tin: a one inch high shell with shoes on who lives in the house with his grandmother (wonderfully voiced by Isabella Rosselini).

From the first frame, there is a haze of faint melancholy which serves to keep the film surprisingly grounded considering the protagonist. Seeing the world through the eyes of Marcel is refreshing and often poignant. Peppered with humour, it has an emotional heft while maintaining an airy texture which is quite an achievement. Chiodo Bros. Production, responsible for the animation do a great job in integrating the stop motion animation into the real world while giving life to these quirky characters.

Camp has not only created a unique character but has used Marcel as a lens on the world to impart truths entirely grounded in reality.