Marcel the Shell With Shoes On

Last night I went to see Marcel the Shell With Shoes On and I was definitely surprised by how much I loved this heartwarming story about a one inch shell!  Marcel (Jenny Slate) lives with a close-knit community of shells in a large house until there is a mysterious incident after the owners, Mark (Thoas Mann) and Larissa (Rosa Salazar), have a fight and move out which leaves him alone with just his grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini).  The house becomes an Airbnb and a documentary filmmaker named Dean (Dean Fleischer Camp) moves in after a divorce.  He soon discovers Marcel and becomes enchanted with his charming existence.  He films him for his Youtube channel in order to try and find his family with both unexpected and joyful results.  Marcel is one of the most adorable and endearing characters I've seen in a long time and the way he views the world is so refreshing.  I loved all of the clever and innovative ways he uses everyday objects, especially the tennis ball he uses to get around the house and the stand mixer he rigs to shake fruit from the trees, and I was laughing out loud multiple times (and so was the large crowd at the Broadway).  I was also incredibly moved because there are some really powerful themes explored, which really resonated with me, involving being a caregiver for a family member and then being at loose ends when that role ends.  In fact, I actually had tears in my eyes during this subplot.  The portrayal of internet culture was really interesting and I found all of the people taking selfies in front of Marcel's house to be highly amusing.  I really enjoyed the mockumentary narrative device and the combination of live action and stop-motion animation is extremely well-done.  I didn't have a lot of interest in seeing this movie when I first heard about it but I'm so glad that I changed my mind because I loved it and I highly recommend it.