Annecy Review: ‘Memoir of a Snail’ is Another Stop-Motion Wonder
by Alex Billington
June 20, 2024
“Life’s a beautiful tapestry that needs to be experienced… It’s small pleasures savored…” You never know when you’ll stumble across a film so touching, so profound, so wholesome in every sense, that it will leave a lasting impression that may change the way you live your life. I love animation and always enjoy watching indie animation, as some of the most incredible work can come from anywhere. I still remember back at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, on opening night that year, heading into the screening to watch a film called Mary and Max. Before going in, all the critics were wondering why they had programmed a stop-motion animated film for opening night of the festival. By the time we walked out, we knew exactly why – it was an amazing, one-of-a-kind creation that left many of us wiping away tears (here’s my review from back then). Now 15 years later, Mary and Max director Adam Elliot is ready to premiere his second feature film titled Memoir of a Snail. And yes, I’m happy to report that it’s as amazing, as moving, as heartfelt as Mary and Max, if not even moreso… I enjoyed this so much I had to watch it a second time before writing this review.
Memoir of a Snail is tragic tale of an Australian woman named Grace Pudel – a hoarder of snails, romance novels, and guinea-pigs – voiced by Australian actress Sarah Snook. She narrates the film telling her story through flashbacks and anecdotes of various moments in her life. She was born with a twin brother named Gilbert, though her mother died during their birth. So they were initially raised by their alcoholic father, a French juggler who fell in love with their Mum and moved to Australia to be with her, but was hit by a drunk driver and gave up his profession. When he passes, the two siblings are then separated by Child Services and sent to live on opposite sides of Australia – each with super strange families that don’t care much. There’s a moment where Grace explains that she feels like an invisible nobody who has done nothing in her life, but she lives on anyway. She loves snails, wearing a snail hat at all times, collecting any/everything with a snail on it. And she befriends an older woman named Pinky, delightfully voiced by the Australian legend Jacki Weaver, who is her only friend for most of her adolescence. There’s something really moving about hearing Grace tell her story, even with all these depressing events, because she takes it all in and still holds onto life.
It must be stated for the record – Adam Elliot is a one-of-a-kind filmmaker, his creations are so specific and inimitable that they can be identified from just one frame. No one else tells these kind of stories the way he does. No one else can dig so deep into the darkest corners of humanity, telling bleak and despondent stories about such lonely people, yet create rich and invigorating cinema. It’s so remarkably humbling and strangely uplifting to spend time with his characters in their world. Even if they’re not the happiest people, they still are fascinating, there is still some warmth hidden within. His character designs and world building and stop-motion animation style are so distinct. There’s an intense darkness, almost an emo look and feel to all of it, yet there is such vivid humanity within each & every character. Not to mention the details he crafts in every little prop or set piece or background or whatever it may be drifting around the frame. You could rewatch any of his films and discover some amusing detail worked right into the background of each shot, something that’ll make you smile or giggle. There’s plenty of joy defining his filmmaking even if his stories are so dark. Not to mention all of the artistry & craft put into building everything for the stop-motion shoot.
Memoir of a Snail is a reminder that when all the world seems miserable and hateful, there is always some hope somewhere, there is always a bit of joy just waiting around the corner. Listening to her inner voice as she describes what she went through offers us a chance to empathize with her tenacity. Ultimately the film is about how many feel imprisoned, or caged, throughout their lives – by other people, by their circumstances, by their own anxiety or self-loathing. The hope in this story is that no matter how long it takes, it’s possible to realize this and figure out what it takes to free yourself. Through all this tragedy that Grace experiences, the film ends up culminating in a stupendously uplifting, life-affirming finale. The kind that will make you burst into tears and take deep breaths and then walk out of the theater with a new found appreciation for life, ready to finally change, finally free yourself, finally face the scariest parts of life & overcome those fears. Not many films have this kind of power, which is what makes this one (and Mary and Max) so magnificent. It won the Cristal for a Feature Film award at this year’s Annecy Film Festival and absolutely deserves this prestigious prize. “Like I’ve said… Life can only be understood backwards, but we have to live it forwards.”
Alex’s Annecy 2024 Rating: 9.5 out of 10
Follow Alex on Twitter – @firstshowing / Or Letterboxd – @firstshowing
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