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Marcel The Shell With Shoes On - Review *Spoilers*

Writer's picture: JamieJamie

Marcel is as dedicated to family as Vin Diesel is in the Fast franchise. He will stop at nothing to be together again with his personified sea shell commune. This film is actually offensively lovely in every way. Its not a vapid “look at this, there’s a shell wearing shoes” film, it’s a careful, funny and clever “look at this, there’s a shell wearing shoes” type of film. He discovers the world around him with us as we discover clever ways to get oranges off a tree or how to use an old champagne cork cage as a comfy dining chair.


Marcel lives in a very expensive suburban AirBnB somewhere in California, that doesn’t matter to him though because the house is big enough to have everything he needs. It’s just him and Nana Connie until Dean comes in during the interim of permanent flat living. He rents out this AirBnB for a short term and decides to spark up a little documentary project with the current residents of the house, Marcel and Nana Connie. Marcel takes Dean on a day in his life, how he survives, what he likes and his ultimate goal, to find his family. In between funny and heartwarming meaninglessness, Marcel explains how he became one of two shells left behind. He is content in his search for his family, longing but also not searching too hard. Marcel gets on with his life and takes the approach of “if it happens, it happens”. Not until Dean comes in and expands his vision to how big the world is, does Marcel ramp up his search for his family and gains some hope that they can all be together again.

After Dean uploads some clips of Marcel existing, he becomes an overnight sensation, even late night talk shows are talking about him, which are famously at the cutting edge of culture. This out of touch nature is offset by the TikTok dancing outside Marcel’s house which might showcase the true sensation Marcel is, breaking down the millennial barrier. We see all of this culminate in Marcel being invited to do an interview with 60 Minutes, Marcel and Nana Connie’s favourite show. The journalistic efforts of the TV show leads to Marcel reuniting with his family for a glorious ending to a glorious film.

However, in between all of this, we lose nana Connie, as Marcel is brought out in the car for the first time, she stays at home, getting frightened and cracking her shell. This is the beginning of her loss and we slowly lose her until she disappears during the 60 Minutes interview. This is one of many moments of emotional depth weaved into the meandering plot. It has some really emotional elements throughout and some really nice sentiments expressed by Marcel, like “guess why I smile so much? - Because it’s worth it”. Or the really lovely ending where Marcel describes being the most comfortable in silence while hearing people being social upstairs. He stands at the window, letting the breeze blow through his shell and make a noise that would never happen if he weren’t there.

The comedy of this film is perfect to me, it's ridiculous while being understated. Much like Marcel’s realisation of the vastness of the world, told through his silence and vague questions to Dean. The comedy of the film doesn’t rely on the simple fact that we are living in a world where a once inch shell wearing shoes - that I would never buy a replica of - just exists. The comedy is in how Marcel perceives the world and interacts with the people around him. He goes on an extended monologue about the people in his family, how he defines them from one another and their quirks, getting funnier the more he goes on about the obscure and innocently harsh nature of the attributes.


This film does so much in its small scale, the house seems vast and almost never ending. Every corner and crack in the wall is filled with ingenuity from Marcel, from the loose tile behind the spice rack being a luxury pantry or the breadroom in the flower pot. The camera helps with this as it centres Marcel standard in the frame next to objects that tower over him. The wonder of Marcel discovering the world around him is aided by a really gentle and beautiful score, not overpowering the action but being present enough to be noted.


To end off this word vomit, this film is an instant comfort movie for me, one that is so pure and lovely. One that I can’t wait to have on streaming services, to watch over and over and over again. This movie is just about perfect.


Let The Battle Begin,


Marcel.


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