Memoir of a Snail

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Memoir of a Snail
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAdam Elliot
Written byAdam Elliot
Produced byLiz Kearney
Adam Elliot
StarringSarah Snook
Kodi Smit-McPhee
Eric Bana
Magda Szubanski
Dominique Pinon
Tony Armstrong
Paul Capsis
Bernie Clifford
Davey Thompson
Charlotte Belsey
Mason Litsos
Nick Cave
Jacki Weaver
CinematographyGerald Thompson
Edited byBill Murphy
Music byElena Kats-Chernin
Production
companies
Arenamedia
Snails Pace Films
Distributed byMadman Entertainment
Release dates
  • 10 June 2024 (2024-06-10) (Annecy)
  • 17 October 2024 (2024-10-17) (Australia)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
Box office$936,393[1][2]

Memoir of a Snail is a 2024 Australian adult stop-motion animated tragicomedy film[3] written, produced and directed by Adam Elliot. It stars the voices of Sarah Snook, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Eric Bana, Magda Szubanski, Dominique Pinon, Tony Armstrong, Paul Capsis, Nick Cave, and Jacki Weaver.[4][5][6] The film's plot, which is loosely inspired by Elliot's own life, follows the trials and tribulations in the life of lonely misfit Grace Pudel, from childhood to adulthood.[7]

The film had its world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on 10 June 2024, and was released in Australia by Madman Entertainment on 17 October 2024.

Plot

Grace Pudel is a young girl in 1970s Melbourne, Australia, who lives with her twin brother Gilbert and their French father Percy, a former juggler who is now a paraplegic alcoholic. She develops a hobby of collecting snails, which she shares with her mother who died in childbirth. The twins have a close and supportive relationship, and Gilbert defends Grace from schoolmates who tease her for her cleft lip, resulting from being born prematurely.

When Percy dies in his sleep, the twins are separated and sent to foster homes on different sides of the country. Grace is sent to Canberra where she is raised by Ian and Narelle, who are nice but are often absent due to being swingers. Gilbert is sent to a farming family of religious fundamentalists in Perth, who treat him with cruelty and abuse, particularly from the matriarch Ruth. Over the years, Gilbert writes letters to Grace, promising to find and reunite with her when he grows up. While this hope keeps her going, Grace is unable to form any connections and passions in her life in Canberra. This results in her obsessively purchasing and hoarding any snail-themed products and collectibles she finds.

As a teenager, Grace eventually befriends an eccentric but kind elderly woman named Pinky, who always finds silver linings in her life despite some misfortunes, such as losing two husbands and many jobs. When Ian and Narelle retire to join a nudist group, Pinky becomes Grace's foster mother, continuing to support her through puberty despite her still feeling depressed and aimless. Meanwhile, Gilbert continues to suffer abuse from his foster family, with only the youngest son Ben treating him with fondness and admiration for his rebelliousness.

Upon becoming an adult, Grace falls in love with Ken, a new neighbour who is a microwave repairman. The two quickly start a loving relationship, eventually leading to him proposing to her. However, on the day of their wedding, Grace receives a letter from Ruth, reporting that Gilbert has died in a fire. Gilbert started the fire in a rage after a homophobic Ruth subjected him and Ben to electric shock punishment upon discovering their relationship. Grace is distraught by his death, becoming more depressed as her hoarding and overeating increases. Grace is further shocked when she discovers Ken's scrapbook, revealing that he has a fetish for large women and that he has been feeding her fat to gain weight. She divorces him, leaving only Pinky to care for her and help her lose weight. Grace also comes to regret using her money on her snail-themed collection, rather than to find Gilbert when he was still alive.

Sometime later, Pinky is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, leading Grace to become the one taking care of her. Pinky eventually dies after a few months, mentioning potatoes in her last words, to Grace's confusion. Grace brings her ashes to Pinky's vegetable garden and sets her jar of snails free. Now alone with nothing to live for, Grace decides to commit suicide by eating poison, but she spits it out at the last second upon realising that Pinky has left her box of savings for her in the potato patch. Also in the box is a letter from Pinky, thanking Grace for their years together and encouraging her to live a new life unclouded by her past struggles and traumas. Grace strives to follow her advice, beginning with disposing and burning her snail-themed collection, keeping only the snail beanie made for her by Percy.

A year later, Grace lives a stable life, pursuing her dream of being a stop-motion animator. At a screening of her short film, Gilbert reveals himself to her, having survived the fire and found his way to her. After their tearful reunion, the twins live happily together again and finally fulfil their late father's wish of having his ashes scattered while on a rollercoaster at Luna Park, the amusement park they went to as children.

Voice cast

  • Sarah Snook as Grace Pudel[4]
    • Charlotte Belsey as Young Grace
  • Kodi Smit-McPhee as Gilbert Pudel[8]
    • Mason Litsos as Young Gilbert
  • Jacki Weaver as Pinky, a former table dancer who befriends Grace[9]
  • Eric Bana as James, a magistrate[8]
  • Magda Szubanski as Ruth, Gilbert's religious and abusive foster mother
  • Dominique Pinon as Percy Pudel, the father of Grace and Gilbert[8]
  • Tony Armstrong as Ken, a repairman who Grace briefly marries[8]
  • Paul Capsis as Ian and Narelle, a swinger couple who become Grace's foster parents[8]
  • Bernie Clifford as Owen, Gilbert's religious foster father
  • Davey Thompson as Ben, Gilbert's foster brother
  • Nick Cave as Bill Clarke, Pinky's second husband

Production

Memoir of a Snail was developed over an eight-year period.[9] Filming occurred in Melbourne in May 2023.[5][10] In February 2024, it was announced that Sarah Snook was cast as the lead.[4]

Release

Memoir of a Snail premiered on 10 June 2024 at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where it won the Cristal Award for a Feature Film.[11][12][13] The film was released in Australia by Madman Entertainment on 17 October 2024, and was released in select theaters in the United States by IFC Films on 25 October, followed by a wider release in November.

In the US, the film was rated R "for sexual content, nudity and some violent content" by the Motion Picture Association,[14] in contrast to the film's less restricted M rating in Australia for "mature themes, coarse language and sexual references."[15]

Reception

Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 94 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "This stop motion odyssey of hope triumphing over life's despair with humanity to spare makes Memoir of a Snail a deft, heartfelt tale."[16] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 83 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[17]

Peter Debruge of Variety commended director Adam Elliot's dedication to a "dark and surprisingly moving brand of storytelling" and praised the film's voice cast and score.[9] In Deadline, Stephanie Bunbury noted repetitive elements of the plot and dialogue but argued that these flaws underscored the film's themes of human imperfection.[8]

Accolades

Award Ceremony date Category Recipient Result Ref.
Annecy International Animation Film Festival 15 June 2024 Cristal Award for a Feature Film Memoir of a Snail Won [13]
Ottawa International Animation Festival 28 September 2024 Grand Prize for Animated Feature Nominated [18]
Grand Prize for Animated Feature – Special Mention Won
Sitges Film Festival 13 October 2024 Best Animated Feature Film Won [19][20]
Mill Valley Film Festival 16 October 2024 MVFF Animation Award Won [21]
BFI London Film Festival 20 October 2024 Best Film Won [22][23]
Asia Pacific Screen Awards 30 November 2024 Best Animated Film Adam Elliot, Liz Kearney Pending [24]

References

  1. ^ "Memoir of a Snail". Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Memoir of a Snail – Financial Information". Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  3. ^ Ide2024-06-10T12:35:00+01:00, Wendy. "'Memoir Of A Snail': Annecy Review". Screen. Retrieved 1 September 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b c Goodfellow, Melanie; Wiseman, Andreas (9 February 2024). "Sarah Snook To Lead Voice Cast In Stop-Motion Movie 'Memoir Of A Snail'; Anton & Charades Release New Image Ahead Of EFM". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  5. ^ a b Goodfellow, Melanie (4 May 2023). "Anton & Charades Partner On Adam Elliot's 'Memoir Of A Snail'; Unveil First Image & Int'l First Voice Cast Featuring Jacki Weaver, Kodi Smit-McPhee & Eric Bana – Cannes Market". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  6. ^ Frater, Patrick (16 May 2021). "Australia's 'Kid Snow,' 'Petrol' and 'Memoirs of a Snail' to Shoot After Receiving Funding". Variety. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Memoir of a Snail". Charades. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Bunbury, Stephanie. "'Memoir Of A Snail' Review: Australian Claymation Master Adam Elliot Reflects On Love, Grief And Human Weakness – Annecy". Deadline. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Debruge, Peter. "'Memoir of a Snail' Review: Adam Elliot Spins a Series of Unfortunate Events Into a Stop-Motion Heart-Tugger". Variety. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  10. ^ "WORLD-CLASS CLAYMATION IN PRODUCTION IN MELBOURNE". VicScreen. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  11. ^ Roxborough, Scott (25 April 2024). "Michel Hazanavicius' Animated Holocaust Tale 'The Most Precious of Cargoes' to Open Annecy Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Feature Film in Competition – Official 3: Memoir of a Snail". Annecy Festival. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  13. ^ a b Lang, Jamie. "'Memoir of a Snail,' 'Flow' Split Feature Honors at Annecy, 'Percebes' Wins Best Short". Variety. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  14. ^ "Search". www.filmratings.com. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  15. ^ "MEMOIR OF A SNAIL | Australian Classification". Australian Classification. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  16. ^ "Memoir of a Snail". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  17. ^ "Memoir of a Snail". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  18. ^ https://www.animationfestival.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/28_09_2024_MR_EMBARGOEDOIAFAwardWinners_EN.pdf
  19. ^ Romero, Miguel Ángel (10 September 2024). "Sitges 2024 anuncia su programación definitiva: las mejores películas de terror que podremos ver este año". Cinemanía (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  20. ^ "57th Edition Award Winners | Sitges Film Festival". sitgesfilmfestival.com. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  21. ^ "AwardsWatch - 47th Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF) Brings Amy Adams, Mikey Madison, Danielle Deadwyler, Jude Law, Payal Kapadia to the Bay Area for Awards and Tributes". AwardsWatch. 11 September 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  22. ^ Bakare, Lanre; Arts, Lanre Bakare; correspondent, culture (20 October 2024). "'Emotionally resonant' animation wins top prize at London film festival". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 October 2024. {{cite news}}: |last3= has generic name (help)
  23. ^ Ntim, Zac (29 August 2024). "London Film Festival: Dea Kulumbegashvili's 'April' And Barry Keoghan Pic 'Bring Them Down' To Play In Competition". Deadline. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  24. ^ "17th ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED". Asia Pacific Screen Awards. 16 October 2024. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
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