Thursday, February 6, 2025

“MEMOIR OF A SNAIL”

THE STORY – After a series of misfortunes, a snail-collecting, melancholic misfit learns how to find confidence within herself amid the clutter of everyday life.

THE CAST – Sarah Snook, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Eric Bana, Magda Szubanski, Dominique Pinon, Tony Armstrong, Paul Capsis, Bernie Clifford, Davey Thompson, Charlotte Belsey, Mason Litsos, Nick Cave & Jacki Weaver

THE TEAM – Adam Elliott (Director/Writer)

THE RUNNING TIME – 94 Minutes


When you want to make a film that stands out, uniqueness and specificity is the name of the game. Those two traits can give nearly any story wings or, in the case of Adam Elliot’s “Memoir of a Snail,” a long and lovely trail to follow. His latest stop-motion odyssey is an utterly beautiful tragicomedy that chronicles the life of Grace Pudel (Sarah Snook), a young Australian outcast in the 1970s who takes solace in her close connection with her brother, Gilbert (Kodi Smit-McPhee), before they are separated for much of their lives. As her world becomes more and more complicated through adolescence and adulthood, we are treated to an honest and heartwrenching account of personal redemption, something of an Illiad in search of both self-discovery and a deserved reunification. The result is a wonderfully unconventional and fresh animated story that weaves originality and specificity into a remarkable journey of the soul.

First and foremost, you get drawn into this film visually due to its gorgeous stop-motion animation. The dark and almost brooding claymation world is Burton-esque but still feels wholly original in its design. Similarly, the characters follow the same charming and almost macabre motif that innately looks like a cousin of the inhabitants of Burton’s strange worlds. Still, there’s no doubt that Grace and the motley crew of her life are unique to Elliot’s story. There’s a warmth to Grace’s world, even when she can’t see it, and to the people therein in a way that is decidedly absent from Tim Burton’s work—not because his characters lack the same humanity, but because they more exist behind the proverbial Halloween door from Henry Selick’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” than they do in the real world. Elliot expands upon this art form with a sometimes dark, sometimes whimsy approach to the naturalistic story (told all through flashback voiceover narration), which works expertly to hook the audience while keeping a sense of originality in the mix.

Because of the ingenuity of the film’s world and character-building, the story feels even more original and pulls you into its emotional orbit. It’s a singular tale that touches on so many of life’s hardest trials—the death of Grace’s parents, which leads to her and Gilbert’s long-term separation from foster care onward—and greatest joys. However, much of the film’s unique edge lies in the fact that the story never ceases to be surprising. It can be quite dark and profoundly sad. But it’s because we’re so madly in love with the characters that we feel every intended emotion with the utmost severity. It can also be wildly hilarious as Grace’s inner thoughts snowball into rabbit holes you never expected to fall into but can’t help but guffaw at. Each of her trials and tribulations is true to the rollercoaster of the human experience, even when the chain of events feels so specific to Grace. Yet she maintains a sense of outspoken verve even in her darkest moments, a quality that keeps us delighted with her throughout. Plus, Elliot’s hilarious script gives her, as the protagonist, the funniest lines.

“Memoir Of A Snail” also takes a much-needed step toward centering conventionally “undesirable” women, and although the wonderful Grace is only a stop-motion entity, it is still breathtakingly refreshing to see her head space explored regarding the notion of being othered, whether that’s due to her age, body type or fascination with snails. Not only do we get to know how Grace sees and feels about herself, but we also get glimpses of how others perceive her, especially when it comes to appearance. In turn, we’re graciously welcomed into her emotional inner world through this and several other important tentpoles of her life. Her dating life is a tough road to navigate, and it only gets more complicated as the years go on. She’s forced to reckon with the shallowness of the world around her, which gives us a frank and sincere lens on the toll that not being appreciated for who you are can take on a person.

The emotional resonance of ”Memoir Of A Snail” is, in a word, transcendent. There are so many moments—including, prepare yourselves, the ending—where the feelings elicited on screen simply bubble up and spill out, tears, sighs, and sniffles abound. Much of this is caused by the perfect partnership between the excellent voice cast and Elliot’s empathetic directorial eye. The chemistry within the voice cast is impeccable, and all of the core relationships—namely Grace and Gilbert, as well as Grace and the best friend of her later years, Pinky (the riotous Jackie Weaver)—feel unshakably real. That work is being supported and lifted by Elliot’s smart directorial choices, such as the use of wide shots and center composition to hammer home the closeness, physically and emotionally, of our central siblings. With these tactics and, of course, the impeccable work of the animators, the heart of the piece is truly realized within a rich visual language as well as a textual one.

“Memoir Of A Snail” is an astonishing achievement in animation as much as it is in storytelling. Pure of heart and aching to connect on a truly human level, the film feels like a warm hug from someone who treasures you—just as much as you may come to treasure this special tale.

THE RECAP

THE GOOD - Unconventional, funny, sad, and expertly animated. A beautiful mosaic of uphill battles, life lessons, and immense love.

THE BAD -  It may seem near impossible, but between the expert animation, character design, voice cast, direction, and delightful script, this film honestly doesn’t have a bad bone within it.

THE OSCAR PROSPECTS - Best Animated Feature

THE FINAL SCORE - 10/10

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<b>THE GOOD - </b>Unconventional, funny, sad, and expertly animated. A beautiful mosaic of uphill battles, life lessons, and immense love. <br><br> <b>THE BAD - </b> It may seem near impossible, but between the expert animation, character design, voice cast, direction, and delightful script, this film honestly doesn’t have a bad bone within it.<br><br> <b>THE OSCAR PROSPECTS - </b><a href="/oscar-predictions-best-animated-feature/">Best Animated Feature</a><br><br> <b>THE FINAL SCORE - </b>10/10<br><br>"MEMOIR OF A SNAIL”