“Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering, and it’s all over much too soon.”

The above quote is one of the most well-known pieces of writing in film history, appearing towards the start of Woody Allen’s masterpiece Annie Hall, and which has in turn come to be definitive of a very specific kind of tragicomic honesty that has fueled many artistic careers. It’s also a quote that aligns perfectly with the oeuvre of Adam Elliot, who seems to be fascinated by the concept of life being both excruciatingly lonely and far too fleeting, as evident by both his short films and feature-length endeavours. He established himself as a truly essential voice with Mary & Max, one of the most daring works of animation of the 21st century (and a contender for the greatest animated film of its era), and he returns to the longform medium over fifteen years later, in the form of Memoir of a Snail, a film that treads through familiar terrain for the esteemed animator, but which still pushes the boundaries of not only the medium but the story that surrounds it. In this film, Elliot introduces us to Grace Pudel, a lonely woman who is known for her obsession with snails the entire framing device finds the protagonist relaying her life story to one of her beloved pets, who patiently listens to her recount her journey from pleasant, carefree childhood to the present day, during which time she experiences staggering losses and enormous victories, the ebb and flow of happiness and sadness defining her life and forming her into the person she is today, which is a decidedly flawed individual, albeit one who has undergone several extraordinary experiences, all of which have taught her something about the unpredictable, fickle nature of life. Crafted with elegance and simplicity, and driven by a genuine sense of both curiosity and the willingness to evoke even the most uncomfortable of emotions, Memoir of a Snail is another masterpiece for Elliot, who once again demonstrates his superlative talents in creating delicate, authentic depictions of life, consisting of both joyful celebrations and solemn memorials, with a special focus on the ambigious spaces in between, forming the foundation of this stunning and genuinely quite moving film.

Elliot has always demonstrated quite a hefty command of his craft through telling stories that are honest and open about the characters and their experiences. Whether short-format or feature-length, every project revolves around very common themes, which make them quite starkly different from a lot of contemporary animated films – not only is this targeted at adults (without being too overly ribald, as is often seen to be the case in the majority of adult-oriented animated films), but it also contains deeper themes that we don’t often in contemporary animation, which is usually viewed as a medium for younger viewers. Memoir of a Snail is a story about loneliness and how it can take a severe psychological toll on an individual’s state of mind and confidence. The character of Grace Pudel is someone who has sadly experienced countless misfortunes in her life, her entire existence being a series of tragedies that only tend to pause for a fleeting second when she finds brief moments of joy, which are subsequently taken away from her. She watches everyone she loves fade away, either meeting their demise or choosing to leave her life for some reason, leading her to become extremely isolated. Yet, despite the immensely downbeat themes that the film explores, Memoir of a Snail is a joyful film, precisely because of these moments where we see the protagonist experiencing the joy that gives her the motivation to keep moving forward. Elliot is someone who toggles between harsh social critic and radical optimist, and even at its most disquieting, the film is a beautiful coming-of-age story that follows Grace as she learns about life and ultimately encounters the most important lesson – existence is not defined by the people we meet, but rather on our strength, and those we come across are there to help us realize our strength and capabilities, and that the inevitable loss of those closest to you can sometimes be a blessing since it’s in those darker moments that we find the power to move on. It’s a striking set of ideas that almost seems too ambitious for such a small, intimate film – but the director has mastered the art of emotionally resonant storytelling, and using this film as a way to explore various powerful and impactful themes that are both uncomfortable and deeply necessary.

Taken for what it is based on the story, Memoir of a Snail is a beautiful film with a strong narrative that would be poignant in just about any format. However, Elliot has been focused on working in animation, particularly as a way to preserve the endangered art of stop-motion animation, which has become a boutique style of filmmaking, overtaken by the ease and convenience of technology that has made creating this film much more seamless. One quality that nearly every work made with stop-motion animation carries is a sense of soulfulness – it’s one of the most challenging ways to tell a story and is, therefore, an immense labour of love, often requiring years of intricate, meticulous work. Elliot has committed himself to this endeavour and made sure that his work reflects his love for the medium. The results speak for themselves – there are countless moments in Memoir of a Snail that could be considered among the most beautiful in contemporary animation, and the level of detail brought to this film by the director is extraordinary. Each moment is woven together with such intricacy – every frame is a work of art in itself, from the character designs (including the most subtle of changes, such as in the main character’s gradual transformation from childhood to adulthood) to the world in which these characters inhabit. Elliot has defined his style over the years, creating works that are distinctly his own, and which are branded into the minds of the viewer, who will nonetheless grow attached to these characters and their stories. One of the rarest experiences one can have with an animated film is the suspension of disbelief, where we find ourselves so lost in the world of the film that we forget that this is essentially constructed from only raw materials. There are so many moments in Memoir of a Snail that are more realistic than the majority of other similarly-themed films that are made in live-action, which is in itself a great achievement and one of the many indications of Elliot’s mastery of his craft and ability to create something that transcends the medium and speaks directly to the soul of the viewer.

While the style of the film is mostly sufficient in giving us a truly unique experience, Memoir of a Snail also pays attention to how its characters are developed beyond just their bespoke appearance. It could have feasibly been told entirely silently (which is a testament to the strength of both the narrative and the animation), but then we would lose some of the most moving aspects of the film, which come on behalf of the voice cast. Sarah Snook makes a sojourn back to her native Australia to voice the main character, and as one of the most versatile and interesting actors working today, she rises to the occasion of voicing Grace from her adolescence to adulthood, her voice gradually changing as the character ages and becomes more weather-beaten by time and experience. Kodi Smit-McPhee is the older version of her twin brother, a small role but one that is nonetheless extremely important to the narrative, especially towards the end. A range of other supporting players are woven into the cast to bring life to these eccentric characters, all of them plucked from the Australian film and television industry, giving the film a sense of authenticity that would not be present had Elliot gone for the most notable names. Amongst the supporting cast, it is unsurprisingly Jacki Weaver who stands out and may deliver the best performance in the film. As the eccentric Pinky, we initially think Weaver is just playing into the silliness of the character, but we soon come to learn that she is the beating heart of the film, the person who binds it all together (especially since her character’s death in the first few moments of the film kickstarts the narrative by way of forcing Grace to reflect on her life), and she delivers a spellbinding monologue that contains some of the most beautiful commentary on existence ever committed to film. It is often challenging to speak about performances in animated films since many believe that they are inferior to more traditional forms of acting – but the pairing of good actors, a strong script and a director who knows how to blend them seamlessly proves that they are more than just voices, but rather bold, extraordinary pieces of acting that are just as dedicated and emotive as any other performance, which is yet another area in which this film flourishes.

Memoir of a Snail is yet another absolute triumph from a director who may only work sporadically, but who has proven himself to be capable of capturing the human condition in ways that we previously would have thought impossible. There is a delicacy to how this film handles potentially controversial subject matter, especially since it is looking at concepts such as faith, mental health and dysfunctional families, which are extremely difficult to explore without seeming overwrought or like we are being forced to feel emotions that are not genuine. Yet, there is never a moment where the film feels heavy-handed, with the balance of humour and melancholy being masterful in its own right. Elliot is as good of a writer as he is an animator, which is quite a rare occurrence and one of the countless reasons why he is considered one of the finest auteurs in the medium. The simplicity of this story, which isn’t trying to make any bold proclamations, coupled with the genuine sense of heart and soul that propels the narrative and the visual manifestation of these ideas all lead to a film that is beyond extraordinary. The film is extremely moving and has such a clear sense of affection for its characters and what they represent, which is all part of the wholeheartedly moving nature of the narrative, and the incredible artistry that defines and shapes this extraordinary piece of filmmaking that stands as one of the year’s very best works, and a film that will quite possibly become definitive of the present decade, in much the same way Mary & Max continues to be upheld as a masterpiece of its era. Beautiful and haunting in equal measure, few films manage to be this powerful with such simple intentions, which is further more evidence of the exceptional artistry on display.