Marcel the Shell with Shoes On review: Adorable animation
The ungainly title isn’t the only thing unusual about this imaginative family film. Conceived as a YouTube short by former spouses Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer Camp, it centres on Marcel (Slate), an anthropomorphic shell who lives with his grandma. He meets documentarian Dean (Fleischer Camp), who makes him an internet phenomenon, prompting Marcel the shell to embark on a quest to find his family.
It’s very difficult to make a film that lifts the spirits without becoming corny. Paddington is perhaps the most famous example, and it’s to this film’s credit that its tone brings to mind that classic. That feeling of innocence and excitement is present in the wide-eyed wonder of the title character, voiced by the always brilliant Slate. However, there’s also a wit to the script that prevents things from becoming too saccharine, as Marcel’s whimsical asides are often cut short by the real world.
What it does brilliantly is look at big questions in a way that’s gentle, but still affecting. Marcel’s adorable relationship with his grandmother will bring tears to your eyes, as they share their love for US news show 60 Minutes (host Lesley Stahl appears as herself). The beguiling stop motion animation also gives the movie a timeless quality.
What Fleischer Camp achieves is being able to show the world through new eyes, and marvelling at the wonders around us. The more cynical among you may find that an adjustment, but at a time when we’re used to seeing animated characters (or entire films) created to sell toys, this is something different. Marcel The Shell With Shoes on has an earnest quality that will win over viewers of all ages, that makes you feel good without an overabundance of treacle.