Movie Review: Memoir of a Snail

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A+

Adam Elliott's new film is a sheer masterpiece. 

Australian stop-motion animation filmmaker Adam Elliott is sadly a rarity today. He is a filmmaker working in animation that has his own recognizable style. You can't mistake an Adam Elliott film for a movie by anyone else. Not only do his films have a unique look to them, but their loving and complex portals of eccentric characters, off-beat sense of humor, love of the mundane, lack of fear for delving into dark and heavy subject matter and his brilliant mixing of heartbreak and joy make his films stand out. Yet the great filmmaker never feels like he is repeating himself and each of his movies perfectly stands on their own. His newest movie, Memoir of a Snail, may be his finest film yet and a highpoint for stop motion animation. 

This movie starts with Gracie recounting her life to her pet snail. Though her life has had moments of joy, it has been one heavily filled with heartbreak. What makes this movie so incredible is that even as it breaks your heart and makes you cry; it never becomes a depressing dirge. Even in the darkest moments this film still has a sense of hope behind the heartbreak. Adam Elliott cares deeply for these characters and never allows their lives to fall in complete despair. Memoir of a Snail will not have you leave the theater depressed but hopeful that maybe there can be joy found in what may seem like our darkest moments. This may not make the pain go away but it will make it bearable. This is a movie of full emotional honesty that feels more truthful than your average feel-good movie or tearjerker. Anyone who feels that animation is just something to occupy time for your kids (by the way this is an R rated film and in no way for kids) may be shocked by the sheer honesty and maturity that this film approaches many heavy subjects with. As well as balancing the emotional weight of the story with more hopeful moments, this film also balances its darkest scenes with a good sense of humor. This is a laugh out loud funny movie, and the laughter can often feel like a much-needed release from the darker and sadder moments. The comedy also often works so well because it is often completely unexpected. There are no truly comic scenes here but rather very funny moments that appear in dramatic scenes. The fact that we don't see these comic moments coming makes them all the funnier. It also helps this movie combine its comedy and drama effortlessly.    

 The heart of this film rests with our main character Gracie. I loved and cared about this character so much. So many times, I just wanted to walk into the screen and give her a big hug to let her know that someone truly cared for her and wanted to be her friend. What we feel for this character is never pity. Instead, we emphasize and care for her deeply as if she was our friend or family member. We experience every heartache with her and want nothing more than for her to feel happy and loved. Anyone who has ever felt lonely or like they don't belong can relate to her completely. Yet for much of the film she does not pity herself but tries to remain hopeful for the future and look at the world as if the glass is half full. The makes us not only empathize with her but also admire her. She is a wonderful and sweet person. We forget that she is an animated character because she feels so much like a real person to us. 

This film is full of Adam Elliott's great visual style. Though the movie is mostly in muted colors, it is hard to take our eyes off it. There is so much imagination throughout the visuals of this movie that it is as enchanting as any of the more colorful and bright animated films from Disney or Dreamworks. 

This may be one of the best stop motion animation movies ever made and it is a must see for any movie and/or animation lover.