‘Memoir of a Snail’ (2024)

Set in 1970s Australia, ‘Memoir of a Snail’ follows Grace (Sarah Snook) and her twin brother Gilbert (Kodi Smit-McPhee). From humble and troubled beginnings the story revolves around the young girl through her youth into her adulthood. With tragedy striking repeatedly, Grace endures as she navigates her life through hardship and loneliness, finding hope wherever it presents itself.

Through the medium of animated stop motion, writer, director and producer Adam Elliot regales us with a tale loosely based on his own life. With a palette dominated by shades of brown, Elliot creates a beige tapestry of a small yet kind family afflicted by misfortune.

Grace and Gilbert suffer their first loss as their mother dies during labour. Raised by their father Percy (Dominique Pinon), a now alcoholic paraplegic who used to be a street performer in Paris, the three find what little joy they can as they live through hardship, barely getting by, but knowing they have each other.

Grace and Gilbert suffer a further blow when Percy passes and the twins are separated. Placed in a house of religious fundamentalists in Perth, Gilbert has to endure working on an apple farm as he is forced to adopt the new family’s ways. Grace suffers loneliness equally as she lives with new adoptive parents in Canberra. Finding solace in letters to each other, the two try to get by, with the hope of seeing each other again driving them forward.

The success of the story lies in its character’s ability to persevere. Grace and Gilbert grow up understanding hardship, being dealt blow after blow of misfortune, bad luck and tragedy. They find solace in each other, reading and hanging on to the snail related souvenirs their mother had left behind, namely her ring, music box and little snail figurines.

Whilst Gilbert opposes his religious adoptive parents Ruth (Magda Szubanski) and Owen (Bernie Clifford) and suffers their fundamentalist ways, Grace slowly secludes herself. Resorting to books for comfort and beginning to hoard snail related paraphernalia, she slowly becomes a recluse.

Saddened by loneliness, the film highlights the immense impact a single person can have on another’s life. Grace befriends Pinky (Jacki Weaver) a former table dancer who has seemingly done everything imaginable. Spending time with Pinky opens Grace up, allowing her to see the silver lining to the state of what her life has become.

Learning to enjoy life anew, Grace still yearns for a romantic and intimate partner, finding that connection with Ken (Tony Armstrong). Satisfying her urge for a close and loving partner, Grace falls head over heels for Ken and the two begin to plan for their wedding. Tragedy strikes yet again when Grace learns of her brother’s passing through a letter from Ruth. Destroyed, she resolves to carry on and tries to find solace with Ken.

Trying to live with the pain, Grace seeks comfort with her new husband. Growing increasingly burdened by her snail collection however, Grace finds herself hoarding the items. Further adding to her despair, she learns that Ken has been over-feeding her, resulting in her gaining weight, much to his enjoyment. Resolving to separate from him, Grace retreats and is taken care of by Pinky.

Following a lifetime of tragedies, ‘Memoir of a Snail’ could easily have been a harrowing and difficult watch had it solely focused on the dark and morbid stages of Graces life. Without minimising the hardship that the protagonist endures, the dulcet tones of Snooks voice guide us through Grace’s life with a quiet yet persistently hopeful tone.

Examining the insurmountable amount of pain that a single person can suffer, the film relays how bleak and insufferable life can be. Through bullying, losing all of her family, betrayal and personal mental well-being issues, Grace carries on. The film does not try to glorify her perseverance, rather focusing on the strength it takes to carry on. Also not resorting to melodramatic ways, the story navigates through Grace’s pain, leaping from one misfortune to another, with Grace’s quieted yet hopeful presence at the centre of it all.

Covering a wealth of deeply personal and saddening issues, the film maintains a darkly comical and unsettlingly humorous tone. Whilst it allows us to live through Grace’s pain, the film also invites to laugh wherever possible. Be it a comedic coincidence or just irony, ‘Memoir of a Snail’ serves to remind us that even though life may comprise of a string of tragedies, there may be times where laughing is the only way to ease the tension, and the only resort besides a complete breakdown.

Covering the early years of Grace and Gilbert leading into their adulthood, ‘Memoir of a Snail’ could have been a tearjerker to the Nth degree. Elliot has opted to deliver a story that, whilst deeply insightful and bleak, is uplifting and encourages one to persist. Through a sea of browns, grays and beiges, the creator invites us to see beyond what’s immediately in front of us and to seek out things that are truly valuable, to find what we’re passionate about and to not let go of the idea of a beautiful tomorrow.

Score: 4/4