Adam Elliott’s ‘Memoir of a Snail’ Premieres at Annecy Animation Film Festival
Like Britain’s Nick Park at Aardman, Australian stop-motion filmmaker Adam Elliott demonstrates a natural talent for screenwriting comedy, seamlessly blending it with the simplicity and directness of his animation style. This unique fusion creates a distinctive sense of lovability and pathos, showcasing his instinct for the underdog and the outsider. Elliott’s work often makes mainstream animation appear more conventional in comparison. His 2003 short “Harvie Krumpet” won an Oscar, and he recently premiered his most ambitious feature-length work yet at the Annecy animation film festival. The film is charming and beguiling, incorporating strong personal and autobiographical elements, and features A-list voice talent.
Sarah Snook voices Grace Pudel, a desperately lonely middle-aged woman and reclusive hoarder surrounded by chaos and snail memorabilia. The film explores her life and troubled childhood. Grace is very close to her twin brother, Gilbert (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee), who was a pyromaniac as a child because he wanted to be a fire-breathing street entertainer in Paris, inspired by their father, a stop-motion animator. When they become orphans, the state system separates them, placing them on opposite sides of Australia.
Gilbert ends up with a cultish religious foster family who run a fruit business and insist on worshipping the “baby Jesus.” Grace is placed with an upbeat Canberra couple addicted to self-help books and swinging, leaving her alone in the evenings. Her only friend is Pinky, an eccentric old lady voiced by Jacki Weaver, who becomes a central figure in Grace’s life. Pinky smells of ginger and secondhand shops and wears colorful clothes and giant glasses, reminiscent of a combination of Iris Apfel and The Incredibles’ Edna Mode. Pinky plays a crucial role as Grace confronts her destiny and her lifelong fetish for snails.
“Memoir of a Snail” combines ingenuousness and innocence with a family-entertainment approachability that masks a strange intensity. The film hints at real adult pain and anger through its personal narrative touches, with a surprising narrative pivot at the end adding to its poignancy. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable watch, featuring a reference to the BBC TV comedy classic “The Two Ronnies,” which was hugely popular in Australia.
“Memoir of a Snail” screened at the Annecy animation film festival.
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