What makes his work so special is the fact that not only is he an animator who has fully embraced the art of stop animation but is also a brilliant story-teller who captures human emotion in a way very few modern day filmmakers could ever manage to do. Now after some 15 years since his brilliant Mary & Max, Elliott’s work returns to the big screen with Memoir of a Snail.
This isn’t a simple story and it centres around a young woman named Grace Pudel (voiced by Sarah Snook – Sleeping Beauty). Grace has lived an interesting life – grief and sadness seem to follow her.
She started her life living with her crippled father Percy (Dominique Pinon – Amelie) and her twin brother Gilbert (Kodi Smit-McPhee – Let Me In). It isn’t necessarily a happy life, she is bullied at school and her father’s depression affects the whole family, but as long as she has Gilbert and her friends the snails, Grace is okay.
But then life changes forever when her father passes away and Gilbert is sent to a family of cruel religious fundamentalists in Perth (on Australia’s west coast) while Grace is sent to Canberra (on Australia’s east coast) to live with a pair of swingers, Ian and Narelle (both voiced by Paul Capsis – True History of the Kelly Gang).
Their swinging lifestyle means they are rarely home which leaves Grace to her devices. Missing Gilbert means her obsession with snails increases and soon she begins a new friendship with a rough but kind older woman named Pinky (Jacki Weaver – Silver Linings Playbook).
Don’t let the fact that Memoir of a Snail is an animated film fool you. This is not only a film that is meant for adults, it is also a film that goes into some dark places. Just like Mary & Max, this is a film that explores the topics of loneliness and depression in a meaningful way and that is just the beginning.
Grace is not living a happy life and that is something that Elliot brings to the screen in a beautiful, but dark, way. The film explores topics and themes like sexual fetishes and how cult-like families can be a poison to the children they adopt. These are topics that you wouldn’t normally expect to see in an animated film – yet strangely the fact that these characters are pieces of clay means that Elliot also gets a freedom that most filmmakers could only dream of.
If you have never seen an Adam Elliot film before then you should be warned that he has a style like none other. His characters have a look and feel to them that could only be described of what would happen if Tim Burton brought a Van Gough painting to life. They are Gothic in style but oh so detailed. You will also notice that Elliot is a filmmaker that will always fill the frame, so to speak, as well – the focal point of a scene might be Grace talking to one of her snails, but if you look in the background you will see a myriad of other things happening.
Yes, it might be a cliché but watching an Adam Elliot film is like taking a walk through some strange Gothic inspired art gallery where all the paintings are alive and moving. It is also because of all that detail why Elliot takes so long to make his films – but in a way that in itself makes seeing one of his films an experience all to itself.
Memoir of a Snail is a truly beautiful film. Yes, it is dark and even depressing at times, but this is a film that will have you leaving the cinema feeling really rewarded. You will laugh and you will cry as you watch the film, but I can guarantee when you are sitting at home after leaving the cinema you will smile when you realise that despite how dark life can be there is always a chance of beauty that can shine through.
Don’t miss this one – it will become a genuine classic and well and truly deserved its Golden Globe nomination.
Memoir of a Snail is currently screening in Phuket and is rated ‘15’
5/5 Stars
David Griffiths has been working as a film journalist for over 25 years. That time has seen him work in radio, television and in print. He currently hosts a film podcast called The Popcorn Conspiracy. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes accredited reviewer and is an alternate judge for the Golden Globes Awards. You can follow him at Facebook: SubcultureEntertainmentAus