This stop animation film is a drama about a brother and sister (twins) who lived with their father after their mother’s passing. They are separated by the agency who takes them in after their father passed away in their youth, changing their lives in a most harsh way. This story of separation of siblings may not be new to some folks but watching it in stop animation enhances the storytelling and is a beautiful visual interpretation of their feelings and the letters that Gilbert sends to Grace while apart from each other.
I have heard a couple of reactions from people that viewed the film before I did. I am so glad to have seen the film – and felt the film – through such creative work. I was not expecting to leave the theater feeling so much emotion. I know this is a film that will yield different levels of emotion, based on their own experience in real life with their family, siblings and other factors that I won’t go into in order not to spoil the enjoyment of this film.
The actors who give voice to the animated characters do an excellent job. There is something special about Jackie Weaver as Pinky that I really enjoyed – she was one of my favorite characters in Grace’s story as she made her way through life with all the challenges she faced. Those glasses too!!
Synopsis: Grace Pudel is a lonely misfit with an affinity for collecting ornamental snails and an intense love for books. At a young age, when Grace is separated from her twin brother Gilbert, she falls into a spiral of anxiety and angst. Despite a continued series of hardships, inspiration and hope emerge when she strikes up an enduring friendship with an elderly eccentric woman named Pinky, who is full of grit and lust for life. From the Academy Award-winning animation writer and director Adam Elliot, Memoir of a Snail is a poignant, heartfelt, hilarious chronicle of the life of an outsider finding her confidence and silver linings amongst the clutter of everyday life.
Writer & Director: Adam Elliot
Cast: Sarah Snook (as Grace), Eric Bana (as James the Magistrate), Kodi Smit-McPhee (as Gilbert), Jackie Weaver (as Pinky), Nick Cave (as Bill Clarke), Adam Elliot (as Denise Floyd).
Memoir of a Snail releases in theaters on Friday, November 1st after the Texas Premiere at this year’s Fantastic Fest here in Austin, Texas in September.
Source: IFC Films, Fantastic Fest
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