A wrinkled elderly woman with 9 fingers named Pinky (Jacki Weaver) takes her last gasps of air. As she passes away, her final bewildering words only bring confusion to her companion of the last few years. Grace Pudel (Sarah Snook) wearing the snail-inspired knitted cap her father made her long ago is now completely alone.
In the garden as Grace releases her favourite snail, Sylvia, she laments her past life and hardships. Unfortunate from day one, she was premature with a cleft palate, her mother dying in childbirth and her father, Percy (Dominique Pinon) although loving, remained an alcoholic. Her one gift was her twin brother, Gilbert (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Her best friend, her hero and her protector. But when the twins are torn apart and sent to different states on the opposite sides of Australia, Grace retreats inside her own carapace. Like her snails, she seeks to protect herself.
Her and Gilbert each in their own prisons meet foster parents, both good and bad. Over the years, Grace fills her days with hoarding snail collectables, escapes into cheesy romance novels and overeats. As the siblings yearn to be reunited, Grace meets Pinky, an outrageous character who takes the troubled girl under her wing. Struggling to overcome all that life has to throw at her, will Grace break free or will she simply curl up for protection like her beloved snails?
There have only been 3 stop motion animated feature films made in Australia and now Adam Elliot has directed 2 of them! The Academy Award winning animator is instantly recognisable with his unique visual style and eccentric stories. His latest work Memoir of a Snail took a staggering 8 years to produce and features many talented Aussie actors. It was the opening night film for the 2024 Melbourne International Film Festival and is sure to be yet another hit for Elliot.
Part of what makes Adam Elliot‘s work so special is that while his films have an imaginative and distinctly whimsical feel, they are still 100% made for adults. Many kids films are made to appeal to children but in a way that adults can enjoy on a deeper level. Elliot however weaves a story featuring themes of deep depression, insecurities and abuse that most parents would probably feel uncomfortable taking their kids to see.
But how the story is told is through a more innocent means, which helps keep our spirits up the whole time. There is black comedy throughout Memoir of a Snail that we can’t help but laugh along to, despite how sad the film can get. Sexuality and nudity aren’t portrayed gratuitously or sagaciously but with a more juvenile cheekiness to them. Elliot doesn’t make movies for children; he makes movies which bring out the child in us adults.
The craftsmanship displayed in Memoir of a Snail is amazing, with a stylised recreation of 1970s Melbourne, Canberra and Perth. I adore Claymation movies as you really can see the care taken in every frame. Not a single bit of CGI, AI or any other shortcut was employed over those 8 years. Everything that you see on screen was handcrafted by artists and the effect is wonderful. As impressive and beautiful as last year’s best animated Oscar winning film, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.
The performances and how they uplift the characters cannot be overstated enough. Eric Bana as a disgraced magistrate, Magda Szubanski as a horrid foster parent and Nick Cave‘s soulful voice as a libertine postman. All are great in smaller roles but the two standouts are Weaver and Snook. Weaver was always the filmmaker’s first choice to play the always full of life Pinky and it’s easy to see why, with the jovial and loving Pinky being the heart of most of the film, never letting life’s hardships stop her from helping others or from enjoying herself.
For our protagonist, we open ourselves to Grace from her first moments on screen. With the character design of this lonely soul instantly breaking down our defences, Snook‘s gentle narration and innocent portrayal draws us into her character’s journey. Even with many of her issues being self-imposed, we cannot help but empathise with Grace, wishing to see her finally break free.
Memoir of a Snail is another masterpiece from Adam Elliot which was well worth the 8 year production wait. He gives us a tale which is both incredibly funny and bittersweet at times. Told in his signature Claymation style, packed with so many details and Easter eggs which by themselves alone make this film worth a repeat viewing, Memoir of a Snail is by far one of the most uplifting films of 2024 and deserves its showcase at this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival.
Memoir of a Snail is currently screening as part of the 2024 Melbourne International Film Festival.
For more information, sessions and ticketing, visit:
https://miff.com.au/program/film/memoir-of-a-snail