MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON: A24 Releases The Most Wholesome Film Of The Year
A24
Directed by Dean Fleischer-Camp
Director of Photography: Bianca Cline
Written by: Dean Fleischer-Camp, Jenny Slate, Elizabeth Holm and Nick Paley
Stars: Jenny Slate, Dean Fleischer-Camp, Isabella Rossellini, Thomas Mann, and Rosa Salazar
A talking shell looking for his lost family becomes THE most heartwarming story of the 2022 film year. There's no doubt that Slate and Fleischer-Camp bring so much love and care into Marcel as a character, and the world that is crafted from his perspective as a sea shell.
Marcel, a 1-inch-tall shell, lives with his grandmother, Connie, the only residents of their town after their neighbors' sudden, mysterious disappearance. When discovered by a guest amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans and a new hope of reuniting with his long-lost family.
There is no question that as our world unfolds in front of Marcel, that us as the viewers perspective also changes thanks to seeing things from the view of someone that's not accustom to the supposed rules of our world. While the pursuit for family and every action that Marcel and his nan Connie do- the way that Fleischer-Camp shoots the film really makes the viewer know that for this little shell with a big heart, every action is magnified tenfold.
The stop motion is beautiful, and everything is set up so elaborately. I found myself smiling at the tiny foot prints that Marcel left on the walls as he climbed them like an experienced hiker on Everest- thanks to the honey he used to make his feet sticky. To the incredible ways that he got himself around the rental house, and the interactions that him and Connie had with the insects and other small life that inhabit the area. It never feels clunky or out of place, everything has its reasons and all actions leave their feeling on the world.
Jenny Slate once again shows how brilliant she is at voice acting. One can listen to the way she brings Marcel to life just for a few minutes, to realize the love and passion that she has for the character. Every revelation, every misspoken sentence, and every small interaction with Dean- makes the viewer fall more and more in love with her tiny shell character.
Joining Everything Everywhere All At Once, as the top films for me so far this year- they're vastly different but both showcase just how incredible A24 is as a company in this industry.
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