By Jennifer Mustoe
Mercel the Shell with Shoes On was recommended by two of my favorite theater-/life-loving friends, so before it leaves our local theater on Wednesday (tomorrow!) I had a look at what they recommended. Mercel is as charming as they said it was, and more.
Mercel the Shell with Shoes On is the brainchild (or would that be brain shell?) of three remarkably inventive writers: Dean Fleischer Camp (in his feature directional debut), Jenny Slate (who is the voice of Mercel) and Nick Paley. The plot is simple, though anything but typical. Mercel lives with his grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini) in an Isabella Rossellini. Though there used to be many more shells with shoes on in their community, Mercel’s friends and family disappeared. Documentary filmmaker Dean, newly estranged from his wife, moves into the Airbnb, finds Mercel, and starts to film the chatty little shell. Mercel becomes an instant internet sensation, and with the help of his heroine, Lesley Stahl, seeks to find his missing family. The plot is rather fun and interesting. Mercel and Connie shine.
Both shells are willing to share not just the inventive way they survive, but how they’ve created funky and funny innovations that are marvelous. Mercel and Connie have a philosophical way of looking at life and speak with dignity and humor that is rather remarkable. Mercel is a young shell, but sees the world in a very grown up fashion, and his witty and wise descriptions of life and emotions (including sorrow) are what carry the film.
Slate and Rossellini are wonderful as the main characters. Rossellini’s warm, comforting voice and Slate’s scratchy, spunky voice bring such depth, humor, and a sense of reality to these two shells. I found myself wanting to talk to these “people” myself (I think we all would) and what these actors bring to their roles is lovely. We relate to these characters because they have become our friends, and maybe even remind us of ourselves or our loved ones.
As Mercel searches for his family, Dean as the documentary director wants to stay in the background, but is forced to become more involved on camera as the videos become more popular. Mercel, always a ham, is gobsmacked at what worldwide popularity on the internet means. I loved seeing both characters move into their new roles, relying on one another to navigate these changes.
In some ways, Mercel the Shell with Shoes On reminds me a little of My Dinner with Andre. Of course, in Andre, the two characters never move from the table and Mercel and Co are in all kinds of settings: playing, walking in those small, small shoes, skating on a dusty tabletop, and working to stay alive. But the woof and warp of life are discussed in both films and I found myself wanting to write down all the little pearls of wisdom that our hero and his loved ones tell us. And though Dean isn’t the star of the show, we grow to love his reticent self. We love that he loves Mercel and Connie and becomes invested in their journey to find their family and friends.
I showed my five-year-old and my two-year-old the trailer of Mercel the Shell with Shoes On. They were fascinated, but I don’t think little ones would stay engaged for long. However, because Mercel is rated PG, I think tweens and teens (and adults, of course) will love it, especially if they like quirky, one-of-a-kind pieces.
I will not spoil the ending, though some of it is expected. But the last brief scene of Mercel the Shell with Shoes On is beautiful, unexpected, and will stay with me for a long time.
Mercel the Shell with Shoes On, written by Dean Fleischer Camp, Jenny Slate, and Nick Paley. Distributed nationwide by A24.
Look for showings of Mercel the Shell with Shoes On on Fandango.
Mercel the Shell with Shoes On Official Promotional Video
Mercel the Shell with Shoes On Facebook Page
Mercel the Shell with Shoes On Instagram
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