Memoir of a Snail
Life can only be understood backwards, but we have to live it forwards.
Overview
Forcibly separated from her twin brother when they are orphaned, a melancholic misfit learns how to find confidence within herself amid the clutter of misfortunes and everyday life.
Loosely inspired by writer/director Adam Elliot’s own life, Memoir of a Snail tells the story of Grace Prudel, a lonely misfit who from an early age identified with snails, often retreating into her own shell to hide from the harsh world she was born into. Her and her twin brother Gilbert are raised by their father, Percy, a French former juggler who after his wife died during childbirth became an alcoholic. When Percy dies, the twins, who have depended on each other for all their lives, are separated and left with new families. Grace finds herself under the care of a caring couple who also happen to be swingers, whilst Gilbert is left with a strange family of farmers who lead a strange cult. Grace, even more lonely now that her brother isn’t near, finds a strange friend in the form of an eccentric old woman named Pinky, whose life lessons highlight silver linings in even the darkest of times.
Wonderfully animated with stop motion that is packed with a myriad of tiny details in every scene, the film reminded me thematically of the works of Jeunet and Caro to some degree, offering a quirky view of the lives of some rather odd people. As Grace tells her story, and we learn more an more of the misery of her life that she has endured, the film delves into themes of abandonment, domestic abuse, depression, and suicide – and yet even with the heavy subjects being tackled, it always manages to allow some joy to shine through the cracks. Pinky (voiced by Jacki Weaver) opens those cracks up with her wit and wonder of the world, with some of the most poignantly phrased refections on life that have ever made it to film. The film also ensures there is an abundance of genuine humour embedded within the tale, but never in a way to cheapen the drama.
Sarah Snook and Kodi Smit-McPhee lend solid personality to the voices of Grace and Gilbert, and ensure this heartfelt tale connects and makes you genuinely care right through to the final scene. This is a film about life, and how it isn’t always sunshine and roses, but if you look hard enough then you will find joy in even the darkest of times, and is certainly one to recommend.