by Lisa Nystrom
Worth: $18.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
[Voice] Sarah Snook, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Magda Szubanski, Eric Bana, Jacki Weaver
Intro:
Sorrowful and poignant, but above all uplifting, this is a love letter to family of all shapes and sizes, and a reminder of the simple power found in human (and gastropod) connection.
Melbourne International Film Festival kicked off the opening night of its 18-day program with a showcase of homegrown talent. Academy Award-winning director and Melbourne native Adam Elliot (Mary & Max) launched the evening with the introduction of his latest stop-motion film Memoir of a Snail, noting that not only is the story largely set in Melbourne, but almost the entire creative team tasked with bringing it to life are locals as well.
An eclectic range of Australian entertainers lend their voices to the cast, Sarah Snook taking the lead as Grace Pudel, the shy but kind-hearted collector of all things snail related. Grace was born prematurely just minutes after her twin brother Gilbert (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Following a childhood filled with love but tainted by loss, the twins are separated by child services and forced to live on opposite sides of the country. Desperately lonely and full of longing, Grace builds herself a safe space to hide away from the world, a shell made of snail-themed knick-knacks and curios. As Grace grows, so too does her collection, piled high as she walls herself off from the world, until the day that she meets eccentric 80-year-old Pinky (Jacki Weaver), an unconventional woman with a lust for life who sweeps Grace up in her adventures.
Sorrowful and poignant, but above all uplifting, this is a love letter to family of all shapes and sizes, and a reminder of the simple power found in human (and gastropod) connection. The story is not only beautifully told but exquisitely crafted. According to Elliot, every prop, set, and character was made entirely by hand, not a single second of the film was computer generated or delegated to AI. The intricate details and expressions of each and every clay character is a visual treat, and when paired together with the delightful score by composer Elena Kats-Chernin and performed by the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the emotional depth of the story is amplified tenfold.
Elliot’s script is a whimsical balance of humour and heartache, and much like his previous works, he shows a masterful ability to lighten the mood with a well-timed chuckle without ever undermining the film’s emotional core.