Memoir of a Snail
Memoir of a Snail
A bittersweet memoir of a melancholic woman called Grace Pudel - a hoarder of snails, romance novels, and guinea pigs.
rg9400 reviewedNovember 30, 2024
Quirky, strange, eccentric, and at times a bit crude, the movie's unique claymation style and washed-out colors instantly remind you of Adam Elliot's earlier work, Mary & Max. Narrated by Grace, the movie follows her and her twin brother's life into adulthood as they face different sets of misfortunes, illustrating how she slowly crawls within herself more and more. While Mary & Max effectively used their dual perspectives, this movie solely narrates from Grace's point of view, which I believe detracts from its overall impact. I found Gilbert's story to be more compelling, and while we do get scenes from his end, they are a lot less in terms of overall screentime. Grace's story didn't resonate as much with me even though I wanted it to. I felt that some of the stranger aspects (such as the people she lives with) were overdone, and they didn't feel nearly as endearing as those eccentricities were in Mary & Max. This movie, narrated like a memoir, unfolds through a series of events, and I began to worry that it would lack a cohesive point or simply end abruptly, a trend I've been noticing a lot recently. Despite my trepidations, I do think this movie lands some insightful and cathartic moments during its ending. It would have been nice for the rest of the movie to match the strength of its beginning and ending, and I would recommend checking out Mary & Max if you haven't since it captures a very similar tone, atmosphere, and style while doing a much better job building pathos throughout.