Gastropods – who doesn’t love a gastopod? Garlic, butter, parsley, salt – yum! Nothing like a dozen escargot served each in its own little indentation on a porcelain plate.
Well, this is not that kind of story.
This is the story of Ausie twins, boy and girl, and the lives they led. Is there a French element? Oui! Salty? Some characters are. Buttery? Yes, but as in “buttered up.” As for garlic: “strong, pungent, and slightly spicy, often described as sharp and acrid, with a unique aroma” pretty much describes the entire project!
This claymation-style animated feature tells the story of Grace Pudel (voiced by Sara Snook – “The Beanie Bubble”), who, with her brother Gilbert (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee – “Elvis”), lose their mother at their birth and are raised by their father, Percy (Dominique Pinon – “Finalement”), an emigrated French street performer. Sadly, Percy becomes a paraplegic, an alcoholic, an apnea sufferer, and a dearly departed – in that order.
Social Services ruthlessly separates the sibs and they end up on opposite coasts of Australia: Gilbert with a hypocritical religious cult that grows fruit and worships it, while Grace ends up with a “swinging” couple who let her raise herself. The only bright spot in either life is the letters they exchange.
Grace, worn down by life becomes a recluse, collecting snails (hence the title – Grace is relating her life story to her favorite snail, Sylvia (voiced by herself)). She also manages to collect snail “art”, romance novels and guinea pigs. She is a hoarder.
Love does come to Grace in two forms: a wacky old lady with a taste for cigars named Pinky (Jacki Weaver – “Wildflower”); and a wacko handsome neighbor with a dangerous perversion named Bert (Saxon Wright – “Before Dawn”). She learns lessons from both of them.
Writer/director Adam Elliot (Oscar-winner for short film “Harvie Krumpet”) has given us a quirky, smutty, sweet, tender, human story of two children trying to make their way through life without the initial guidance we all need. And yet, for all their misadventures, they succeed.
The animation is at times crude, but the story-telling is genuine. The director says he uses clay puppets to explore themes inspired by his own life, in an approach that he calls “Clayography” rather than stop motion or claymation. “Everything is handmade – there is no CGI.”
This animation is R rated for language, representations of nudity and sexuality. Definitely adult fare.
Runtime: One hour, 35 minutes
Availability: For rent or purchase online
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