“Memoir of a Snail” - Film Review
A film that features no visible human actors often provides a deeper look into humanity than can be achieved otherwise. Despite that, the medium of animation is usually reserved for films directed toward children. It’s only been fairly recently that animated films have begun to tell more adult tales with the help of computers or, in the case of Max Elliot’s Memoir of a Snail, clay. The medium of animation, however it’s interpreted, allows people to disappear for a while into a world that kind of looks like their own. For as long as the fantasy and science fiction genres have existed, they’ve used their out-of-this-world style to tell stories that speak to the heart of humanity. The same goes for Memoir of a Snail.
Grace Pudel (Sarah Snook) did not have the easiest life when she was a child, but she was surrounded by love. Her mother died while giving birth to Grace and her twin brother, Gilbert, (Kodi Smit-McPhee) leaving their father Percy (Dominique Pinon) responsible to care for them. He was not a perfect father, but he deeply loved his children and, as twins, Grace and Gilbert shared a deep, meaningful connection that could never be severed. Their odd but charming little life is upended once again when Percy passes away unexpectedly in his sleep. The twins are split up, with Grace sent to well-meaning but disinterested foster parents and Gilbert forced to live with an extremely religious fundamentalist family. Memoir of a Snail is Grace recounting her story to one of her favorite snails, Sylvia.
Courtesy of Arenamedia Pty Ltd. An IFC Films Release.
Even with its muted palette and odd-looking characters, Memoir of a Snail is bursting with life and color. Despite all the hardships that Grace and Gilbert must endure, they continue to live their lives with kindness guiding their actions. Consistently, the twins will offer a small act of generosity to a stranger, even though they haven’t been granted that same kindness. It’s a reminder to us all that the smallest actions that we quickly forget can have tidal waves of impact on someone else. Memoir of a Snail also advocates for taking control of one’s own life, even if it means stepping on a few toes, because each of us is given only this one strange, beautiful opportunity.
“Life can only be understood backward, but we have to live it forward.” It’s advice given to Grace by a sweet older woman named Pinky (Jacki Weaver), who takes Grace under her wing. Most of Memoir of a Snail is told in voiceover by Grace as she explains the totality of her life up to this point. On paper it makes sense, given the film’s thesis statement that life is confusing until we’re able to reflect upon it. The slight issue with relying so heavily on voiceover is that something intrinsic is lost in the delivery. Maybe if it was used more sparingly or the film covered fewer years of Grace and Gilbert’s life, it might not have been so noticeable. We lose a bit of connection when we’re only hearing about how things unfolded instead of fully living them in the moment. Yes, life is easier to understand upon reflection, but living moment to moment and day to day often keeps us from recognizing the grander plan that comes behind us and lies ahead. It’s reflective without being fully introspective.
Courtesy of Arenamedia Pty Ltd. An IFC Films Release.
Memoir of a Snail exceeds in its ability to capture people and the true essence of who they are. Grace rarely addresses the physical attributes of a person, but she describes the way they smell or the objects that have become extensions of them. To her, Gilbert always smells like a burnt match, and that may very well be her favorite scent in the world. Memoir of a Snail celebrates the innumerable characteristics of the people we love in such a special way. We should be writing these things down for posterity so we can remember them, even if our brains fail us in the future.
“Time for you to leave some glittering snail trails all over the world.” These are Pinky’s parting words to Grace, and the film’s final reminder that this world is vast. There are people to meet, places to go, food to eat, sights to see, and a world to experience, for however long we’ve got. Memoir of a Snail urges its audience to break out of their limits and leave a snail trail of their own.
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