Memoir of a Snail: Film Review
Given that it’s a stop-motion animation, I naively assumed Memoir of a Snail would be a family film. I couldn’t be more wrong! It is a bleak – but darkly funny – movie aimed squarely at adults.
This film, directed by Mary and Max’s Adam Elliot, tells the story of Grace Pudel (voiced by Sarah Snook), a lonely snail-obsessed woman who has suffered many hardships. She recounts her life to her pet snail Sylvia and we watch it play out alongside her narration. I won’t ruin all of the moments but the lows include an alcoholic father and being separated from her twin brother Gilbert (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Her life is filled with grief and misfortune so it’s no wonder she is miserable.
It sounds very depressing but it actually has a dark – but brilliant – sense of humour so you don’t wallow in her sadness too much. The script is well-written and balances the drama and comedy. It’s also much more adult than I was expecting, featuring scenes of sex, masturbation and swinging. So definitely don’t show your kids!
To match her bleak story, the animated world is filled with browns, greys and blacks, with the occasional pop of colour. It becomes lighter and brighter when she meets Pinky (Jacki Weaver), an elderly woman who is an absolute rockstar. She helps Grace get out of the prison she’s created for herself and start anew, pushing her to keep moving forward, like snails, instead of wallowing in the past. Pinky was my favourite character and I loved her so much. She has a terrific turn of phrase that cracked me up. Everyone needs a Pinky in their life!
Snook sounds quite different than usual and I didn’t recognise her voice at all. She doesn’t do anything major with it but her tone is soft and sad, as it should be for Grace. Thankfully, with the help of the wonderful Pinky, Grace tries to find optimism and hope and this new perspective helps her find happiness.
Memoir of a Snail is much darker and bleaker than I expected but it tells a beautiful and surprisingly funny story. I became so invested in Grace and wanted her to finally catch a break!
In cinemas from Friday 14th February
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
