Laughing to Keep from Crying: “Memoir of a Snail”

The only friend left to Grace Prudence Pudel, a quirky and solitary middle-aged woman, is Sylvia – like Plath – a snail who shares her unrelenting sadness. In Sylvia’s company, Grace begins to tell her story, or rather, her memoir, set in 1970s Canberra. It’s a series of events that oscillate between the tragicomic and despair, marked by misfortune that borders on the unbelievable.

Grace has lived a life full of miseries since childhood, starting with the latest one that marks the beginning of the film: the death of her dear friend Pinky, an elderly woman suffering from Alzheimer’s. After one final, heart-wrenching breath, Pinky bids farewell to Grace with her last words, seemingly nonsensical: “…Potatoes!”, leaving Grace in tears and rather confused.

This opening scene, blending drama and comedy, sets the tone of the film, where one misfortune is often followed by another, even worse. For an hour and thirty-four minutes, the viewer finds themselves laughing to avoid crying, as the narrative turns into a deep and, at times, exhausting reflection on the painfulness of life. But as Pinky always said, it has to be faced head-on.

Memoir of a Snail, the latest work by Adam Elliot, an Oscar nominee for Best Animated Feature in 2025, is a perfect example of his skill in stop-motion animation. The Australian director, who won an Oscar in 2004 for his animated short Harvie Krumpet, returns with a film that won the prestigious Cristal Award at the 2024 Annecy Animation Festival. The use of stop-motion, a technique Elliot has perfected over the years, gives the film a unique visual depth, with every detail meticulously crafted, creating tangible characters and an emotionally palpable atmosphere.

His grotesque style, amplified by exaggerated expressions and the “imperfections” of the characters, recalls the works of Edward Gorey and Tim Burton. However, the color palette of grays and browns, almost muddy and dirty, gives the film its distinct look. Additionally, the soundtrack, composed by Elena Kats-Chernin using liturgical choirs that give the music a solemn, almost sacred tone, intensifies the eerie atmosphere of the film.

Despite some repetitive moments in the storytelling, due to the very structure of the memoir, where Grace’s misfortunes are listed – the deaths of her mother and father, loneliness, bullying, the separation from her twin brother Gilbert, with whom she shared a deep connection, and much more – Memoir of a Snail still redeems itself with a finale that offers a well-deserved and anticipated happy ending. The film is not just a story of suffering but also intertwines with a philosophical reflection that enriches its thematic scope, giving the film an existential dimension.

The influence of Søren Kierkegaard is evident, especially when his famous aphorism is quoted: Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. This thought enlightens the protagonist, Grace, who in the end realizes she can no longer remain anchored to the past. Despite all the hardships, one must move forward, never looking back. The real strength of the film lies in its ability to balance the grotesque with the tender, providing the audience with a sense of redemption.

Memoir of a Snail is a powerful message of hope. Like a snail, which moves slowly but never stops, we too can find our way forward, facing the challenges of life, step by step.