Sometimes I find myself watching complex film after complex film; reading between the lines of dynamic, intricate screenplays while trying to divulge and define the symbolic meanings they hide within them. And other times? I watch movies about seashells with googly eyes. From director Dean Fleisher Camp, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is refreshing proof that those latter, unexpected scenarios can be just as good as their “made-you-think” counterparts. The film is presented as a bizarre mockumentary following a one-inch tall, talking shell, Marcel, and his grandmother Connie through their day-to-day life living in the cracks and crevices of a human-occupied Airbnb. In the early clips of the doc, however, the audience discovers that Marcel and Connie are not the only anthropomorphic shells out there, and that the rest of their community has recently mysteriously vanished. In the comedic plot that follows, Marcel and his camera man Dean attempt to harness the power of social media and internet celebrity to find the lost shells. Though I won’t tell you whether or not the pair are successful, I will tell you that the two make a valiant effort, and that effort – in my opinion – is a quirky, intelligent and heartwarming journey to watch.
Photo: A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection
