10/10
Handles Life's Mysteries, Dangers, Grief And Friendships With Wisdom, Grace And Humor
7 July 2022
Marcel The Shell With Shoes On is a sweet, moving and loving journey into the life of an instantly lovable seashell named Marcel (Jenny Slate). I love how this stop-motion animated film, presented as a documentary, handles life's mysteries, dangers, grief and friendships with wisdom, grace and humor.

Marcel and his sassy grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini) share a big home used as an AirBnB that was once full of friends who have mysteriously disappeared. When a new guest, Dean (Dean Fleischer-Camp) arrives, he sets out to document Marcel and help discover what happened to the missing friends. Dean films the inventive and clever ways that Marcel and Connie go about their lives as shells, from gathering food, traveling about and taking care of each other. Marcel persuades Dean to share the mysterious loss of his community, which leads to an interview on 60 Minutes with Leslie Stahl. All the attention and celebrity fuss prove to be too much for the aging grandmother as she does her best to convince Marcel she is healthy. I love how Marcel takes care of Connie.

Marcel is sweet and caring with a practical approach to solving problems. He is inventive and optimistic. And he has a fuzzy pet lint named Alan! His grandmother, Connie, is at once amused and annoyed by Marcel's overprotectiveness. They share a unique bond. The stop-motion animation brings to life these characters in a wonderful, believable way. They become your friends you care about quickly. My favorite part is how Marcel travels around the big house with speed and efficiency- in a tennis ball!

Marcel The Shell With Shoes On addresses a variety of life's challenges with gentle wisdom, quiet grace, and sly humor. Marcel and Connie learn to adjust to the mysterious disappearance of their community, a house full of friends. They persevere and seek help from Dean to help solve the mystery while dealing with the new found "celebrity" attention and the disruption to their peaceful existence. Marcel is stoic and brave in the face of loss and grateful and welcoming at the sound of emergency. We would all benefit from walking in Marcel's shoes!

I give Marcel The Shell With Shoes On 5 out of 5 star and recommend it for ages 6 to 18, plus adults. It opens in select theaters June 24, 2022 and nationwide July 15, 2022. By Madeleine H., KIDS FIRST!
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