Oscars 2023: Marcel The Shell With Shoes On

An adorable talking shell with shoes? Count me in. Marcel The Shell With Shoes On was the nominee in the Animated Film category I could not miss.

Marcel The Shell is a blending of animation, live-action, and mockumentary, deviating from the formulas used by its fellow nominees. This change underscores the idea that animation is not exclusively for children. Marcel might be a child himself, but the target audience for this movie is most certainly not kids. Not to say kids wouldn’t enjoy it, but the point of Marcel is best appreciated by an older, maybe jaded, audience.

As the story unfolds, it is clear that Marcel and his grandmother, Connie, have been forced to deal with isolating trauma of losing their tight-knit family community. The two must find ways to continue providing themselves with a minimal resource pool. At the same time, the instigator of the mockumentary is also reeling from loss and rebuilding. Heck, even the home that the three characters are living in is ground zero for a romantic blowout. Every space in the film is chock full of ghosts of things past. The movie could have very quickly descended into a slog-fest of negativity—a relationship zombie apocalypse.

Marcel The Shell isn’t a fast-paced, action-centered story. There is a quiet deliberateness about every scene. Marcel and Connie’s charming, vibrant world breaks through the sadness and loss. Both are doing their best to continue their traditions and remember their family as best they can. Inviting a human into their world shows a lovely vulnerability and a deep desire to continue to connect to a community, even if it means it’s different than what they used to have.

Some might say it is too slow, but I beg to differ. There were no wasted moments in this movie. The quiet, breezy nature of the build-up to the story’s resolution was refreshing. We, the audience, experience the joys still available to Marcel and Connie, appreciate Marcel’s fears, and mourn with him.

Is it enough for Oscar gold?

Honestly, Marcel The Shell With Shoes On is not going to take home the win this year. Mind you, I would be ecstatic to see it win top honors. Marcel is a beautiful movie with a beautiful message and wonderful characters.

That said, there are several strikes against it.

The biggest one is the hybrid nature of the animation. Marcel The Shell’s creators blended the two worlds seamlessly. Marcel and his fellow shells are the predominant focus of the film, but the inclusion of the live-action will likely make it an uphill battle.

The second is the subtlety and simplicity of the tone and story could hinder, even though there was no other approach to this story. Although, I could be wrong there, given that two of the competitors are reimaginings of other works. Marcel The Shell’s uniqueness might switch its quiet nature to a positive rather than a negative.

Guess we will have to wait and see. What are your thoughts? Comment below!