Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is an absolute joy from start to finish. It's really funny, incredibly moving and extremely deep whilst exploring the need to connect with others and the safety in community as well as the highs and lows of being an internet success.

Jenny Slate is perfect as Marcel, imbuing the character with an innocence and earnesty that would melt the coldest of hearts. Director Dean Fleischer-Camp essentially being co lead is a risky move that thankfully pays off and it's honestly really impressive how genuine his bond with Marcel feels.

Dean's direction is equally impressive with the documentary style construction of the film blending with the stop motion animation as seamlessly as possible. The tone is well handled overall however there's just one scene that really didn't need a joke, even if it was pretty funny.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is remarkably somber for a film so cute; it is a film about small adorable characters and animated inanimate objects spawned from the idea that (to quote the director) "if an object is neglected long enough, it develops a spirit of its own".

Based on Jenny Slate's and Dean Fleischer Camp's beloved web series about a tiny shell with a big heart and even bigger shoes (the popularity of which is acknowledged by the characters/"interviewees" in this film), it's a stop-motion/live-action mockumentary that is sure to make you cry tears of sadness and even more certain to inspire tears of "MY GOD, THIS IS SO PURE AND PRECIOUS". Something to that effect.

Some of you might worry that the film is merely cutesy (which is different than being genuinely cute). But the picture is actually rather interesting on a technical level.

I'd love to see a featurette on just how much of the stop-motion animation is truly stop-motion, and how they made said animations interact so seamlessly with the live-action footage (which is filmed to make the world that surrounds Marcel seem a large and confusing one indeed). Another noteworthy behind-the-scenes detail -- that might have influenced the themes and tone of the film in some way -- is the fact that, whereas Fleischer-Camp and Slate were married when they created the original web series together, they worked on the movie as exes.

Last but not least: like all great things, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On also contains an appearance by Nathan Fielder. Why are you still here?

My cold, black, cynical core was absolutely melted by this adorable story. Given this, I believe it is truly impossible to watch this film and still hold negativity in your soul by the time the credits roll.

Jaw-droppingly fluid stop-motion animation adds such a vibrant life to the world of Marcel the shell and his grandmother. It feels lived-in, yet at the same time, lonely, and this production design adds a great deal to Marcel's emotional journey.

The comedy is constant and absolutely spectacular. The witty dialogue takes jabs at the oddities of both human and "shell" behavior, but also often carries a surprisingly poignant depth that I did not expect.

Marcel's world is small, and thus the things he finds joy in are small. I don't think I have ever seen a film so effectively portray the beauty of the "little things" in life.

This is a film with such a pervasive sense of gratitude for the gift of life-for the gift of opportunities to change, progress, and grow that we are often presented with in this life. It's a story about family and the necessity of the simple sharing of experiences with other people.

Coming out of the theater, I felt such a profound sense of love for the people around me and for the beautiful things both natural and man-made in this world. And if giving someone a feeling like that isn't the mark of a master artist, I don't know what is.

It's a masterpiece of creativity and simplicity. It's one of the best films of the year.

What a charming little film.

For a film about a shell it felt incredibly human! It was very relatable to the human experience, it even made me shed a tear. This movie just had no business being this good. It was darling! Just a very sweet lighthearted funny film that touch the soul in a different way! This movie accomplished something emotionally that most "human" movies fail to do! I'm speaking about humans like I'm an alien in this review... I am also a person.

Great stuff. Great look. Great vibes. Great sound.

No yeah really the soundtrack was actually very good! Super good score for some reason.

Sublime. Truly delightful little gem that will help you feel like it's all ok. This should be on prescription. Recommended for:

• Sunday evening blues when you dread the upcoming week

-When the world feels like a harsh place

• When someone has been rude to you for no reason

-When you spent too much time on social media, or the news, and it feels so loud

• When you feel like nothing matters to anyone anymore
• When you need to hear a tiny voice thats very similar to the little voice you hear inside when you touch some truth.

• When you just had a big fight with someone you love

I'm so grateful for the makers. Thank you.