Memoir of a Snail

Released last year to critical acclaim and receiving a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, Memoir of a Snail tells the story of twins, Grace and Gilbert, living in Melbourne during the 1970s before a series of events destroys the quaint serenity of their familial lives. Memoir of a Snail is rather miserable – if that much wasn’t clear from the brief synopsis – but the gloom is offset by moments of warmth and connection. Told in flashbacks from Grace’s perspective, there exists the cosy knowledge throughout that all will be resolved despite the characters’ hardships, while more sombre scenes are interspersed with sequences of often dark yet comforting humour. In particular, Pinky – an elderly woman that Grace befriends – provides much of the film’s adult humour in contrast with the film’s initial focus on childhood, rendering her a highlight in the film’s roster of memorable characters. Beyond the emotion derived from the film’s narrative, Memoir of a Snail is also loosely based upon the childhood of director Adam Elliot, thereby allowing an intimate glimpse into the primary creative force behind the film. However, the film’s greatest strength is its animation; Elliot’s claymation style is utilised fully, with each setting and scene brimming with intricate detail and each character’s face furrowed with expression. While the narrative and pacing is rather sluggish in its persistent melancholia, Memoir of a Snail is a thoughtful, sobering exploration of life, love, and difference.

Sam Ripley