By Nick Nitkowski

“Memoir of a Snail” is another one of those movies that just kind of popped up out of nowhere on my radar. All I knew about it was that it was a stop-motion animation film. I hadn’t seen a single trailer nor did I know what the movie was even about, but as someone who has dabbled in stop-motion animation online, I have tremendous respect for the art and therefore, I do what I can to support all films that utilize that craft. 

“Memoir of a Snail” focuses on the life of Grace Pudel, a shy, self-conscious hoarder of snail memorabilia, voiced by Sarah Snook, from childhood to adulthood we see all of her ups and downs in life. While doing so, we meet a lot of interesting characters with a lot of great voice talent such as Eric Bana, Jackie Weaver, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Nick Cave to name a few.

This was a very well-made film. Very enjoyable in a somber kind of way. Of course, I’m particularly fond of the animation for the reason I mentioned previously. The world of this movie is made intentionally to look dull and dreary and even the characters are made to look imperfect. Stop-motion is a very time-intensive process with lots of struggle that goes with it. It is an art form best described as a labor of love with the saving grace of it all being the end result and with the film, I can really see the love that was put into it.

My only complaint with this movie was that for a movie that’s only a little over an hour and a half long movie, it did feel at times that the story was moving at a snail’s pace. Pun intended. The movie is still good and the story interesting, but I felt that some parts could have been trimmed ever so slightly to keep it at a good pace. This could possibly be because the whole movie is told narratively through the main character.

The characters, while imperfect by design, are very interesting. Each character has its own unique features and characteristics. Some were very kind and good at heart and some quite vile. My favorite character in the whole movie is the character named Pink, voiced by Jackie Weaver. She provided most of the humor of the film as well as the heart. She was definitely the biggest stand out of the movie.

To all parents, please keep in mind that this is NOT a kid’s movie. This isn’t even a family movie. Despite the focus of the movie being about family, this is a very adult movie with very adult themes including, but not limited to, full nudity, language, and some violence. Please be warned before you inadvertently take your child to see this movie without looking at the “R” rating attached to it first.

Overall, this was a very good movie dealing with very deep life issues all told through the art of stop-motion creating a world that is both dull, ugly, lively, and beautiful all at the same time inhabited by unique characters that really give the overall film a great life. So, if you are a fan of the art form in general, or if you’re just looking for a good movie to watch, then don’t be sluggish and go see “Memoir of a Snail”! I highly recommend it!

4.5 stars