Snail vs. Wallace – Movies with Matteo
Clay animation, better known as “claymation” is a form of animation that is entirely made of clay; the clay is typically a wax-based clay due to its easy malleability compared to oil based clay. In the history of the 97 past Academy Awards, less than 30 claymation projects have been nominated for any awards. However, two claymation movies are nominated for the category of “Best Animated Feature” this year; Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Memoir of a Snail. While both movies are claymation, they are drastically different from one another. One is funny, lighthearted, and for the whole family, while the other is often depressing, mature, and meant for older audiences. I have finally seen both films, so I will be comparing and contrasting the two films.
The Netflix original film Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl follows arguably the most popular claymation characters ever. Wallace, an eccentric inventor, and Gromit, his scarily intelligent dog. Wallace and Gromit are in dire financial straits, but Wallace has an invention that can fix this! The Norbot!! The Norbot is a mechanical garden gnome who is able to take care of any handy work, whether it be building a shed or trimming a garden. However, when long-time foe Feathers McGraw hatches a plan to get revenge on Wallace and Gromit from his prison cell, things quickly go haywire. The film is lighthearted, funny, and has very good claymation. The textures all look incredible. The side characters are hilarious, with my favorite being Onya Doorstep, the news reporter voiced by Diane Morgan. The film is a great time, but it is relatively predictable. You can kind of guess what will happen 20 minutes into the movie. There are a few minor twists, but none change anything in the narrative drastically.
Memoir of a Snail is a polar opposite of Wallace and Gromit. First of all, the film is rated R!! For a claymation movie, that is unheard of. The film is dark and deals with a lot of mature topics, such as death, alcoholism, and depression. The film follows twins Gracie and Gilbert. Gracie was born prematurely; Gilbert was born shortly after her, but tragically their mother died during his birth. This leaves Gracie and Gilbert in the care of their father, a paraplegic who once had aspirations to be a street performer and animator. He tries to care for Gilbert and Gracie, but it is hard for him to keep an eye on them. The two get into a lot of trouble; especially Gilbert. The twins are inseparable and are each other’s only friends. However, when their father unexpectedly passes in his sleep, Gilbert and Gracie are split into separate foster homes that are across the country. The film chronicles their vastly different experiences through life. Much of the dialogue in the film is from letters that are exchanged between Gracie and Gilbert.
The true highlight of Memoir of a Snail is that it makes you feel like you are experiencing these characters in their daily lives. The film takes place from the birth of the twins to adulthood. The audience experiences the characters’ struggles to accept death, failed love, and how they each find happiness in hard times. All the characters in the movie feel so truly human. They all have their problems, their own aspirations in life, and many have meaningful messages to share with the protagonists. My favorite character was Pinky. She is an elderly woman that Gracie befriends as a child. She has crazy life stories to share with Gracie, some of which may be entirely fictional, such as her story about playing ping-pong with Fidel Castro! The film really makes you become emotionally attached to the characters, and there were numerous times in the movie where I was on the verge of tears.
Both claymation movies are great, but each for very different reasons. Personally, I was a lot more attached to the story of Memoir of a Snail. I would recommend that the audience watch both movies and form their own opinions on which they prefer. I hope that the Oscars choose one of these inventive and creative movies to win best animated feature (Memoir of a Snail!!! Please!!!!!)
