A recommendation: Marcel the Shell

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Everyone must watch this film!! "Sometimes I find my mind wandering, thinking, 'What would my family think?' Do you think they could be out there?" "Marcello, let's forget about being afraid. Just take the adventure." Listen to Connie! She knows best. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is one of the most adorable films of 2022, arriving in theaters in the summer after first premiering at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival. This charming little mockumentary indie creation is a hybrid live-action / animation film from Dean Fleischer Camp, turning his original web series into a full-length feature. It follows a little shell named Marcel, voiced by Jenny Slate, who talks Dean through his life living quietly and comfortably in an AirBnb home. He decides to go on a little adventure to find his other "family" members and that's the story. It's ending up on tons of Top 10 lists this year, which is why now is the perfect reminder to catch up with and enjoy this film. Even if you've seen it before! You can enjoy it again.

[On what a documentary is] "It's like a movie but nobody has any lines and nobody even knows what it is while they're making it." Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is as family friendly as any film can be, with a PG rating. Marcel is so innocent and humble and nice, learning about the world from one moment to the next with everything he encounters. It's a wholesome, uplifting, warm & friendly film that is a nice break from all the dark, depressing, tragic movies released these days.

If you need any more convincing, the reviews have been effusive. I enjoyed Marcel quite a bit, and I found it so charming it's almost unbearably cute. But that's why it's so beloved! Other critics say that it's, "hilarious and extremely sweet... a feel-good movie that’s not like anything you’ve seen before." Another raves, "This kid-friendly A24 movie is somehow whimsical, bittersweet, life-affirming and a little bit heartbreaking all at once. And that makes it the perfect movie for the moment." There's something so beautiful about a film that doesn't try to overwhelm you with "look at how bad things are" instead reminding everyone how lovely things can be if we're kind and generous and make an effort to love each other. Marcel is a hero of 2022! And we should all spend some time with him and learn from his wisdom. This film is worth a watch.