Marcel, voiced by Jenny Slate, is a shell with one eye and two shoes living in an Airbnb alongside his grandmother Connie, voiced by Isabella Rossellini. The two of them have been separated from their original community, made up of over 20 other shells, after the couple that originally lived in the home split up and the shells were mistakenly packed away with the socks.
The creator of this documentary, Dean, played by director Dean Fleischer Camp, moves into the house after a divorce and begins interviewing Marcel and Connie, uploading videos to YouTube which end up going viral. Interestingly, Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer Camp used to be married themselves (Death, Sex & Money 4/01/23). After divorcing, the couple continued to work on the project together in good humour, offering then, an explanation as to why change and the anxiety that comes with it, is so tangible throughout.
Both dealing with a kind of separation, Marcel and Dean navigate their new internet fame as they continue to search for the other shells. What ensues is an emotional rollercoaster of delight as we see Marcel’s adorable ingenuity, like his use of honey to walk up walls, but also Connie’s deteriorating physical health. When I went to watch this film in what seemed to be a distinctly child-free theatre, there were two other men on my row – we all shed tears at least once.
Aside from the obvious visual charm of this movie, where it shine lies within the childlike wonder of Marcel and the wisdom of Connie. Seemingly mundane things are noticed and revered by the young shell. Driving around in Dean’s car, Marcel is amazed by “fountains in the lake”. It’s funny and ridiculous, but then you think about it, and you realise they are in fact beautiful.
he cries “but what if everything changes?”. Connie simply replies, “it will.”
The movie hammers home the importance of community and togetherness, but it also yearns for its audience to embrace change in pursuit of their goals. In a scene where Marcel suddenly feels daunted by the prospect of new experiences, he cries “but what if everything changes?”. Connie simply replies, “it will.”
Whilst it is easy to see time moving on as just months and years, it is important not to forget “the changes in the trees” or overlook the “buds that have closed and bloomed again”. If you’re feeling somewhat disconnected from the world around you, this film is a must.