gavinp9

'Heretic' is a good psychological horror film, helped immensely by Hugh Grant's clear relish to be playing against type. The premise is simple - Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes (Thatcher) & Sister Paxton (East) get trapped in Mr Reed (Grant)'s house and try to escape. There's plenty of details as to the how/why, but not going to give any spoilers!

The pacing is really good, with it being a slow-burn at the start, and lots of dialogue, giving us plenty of time to know Barnes and Paxton, and the initial meeting/discussion with Mr Reed as they spruik the virtues of the Book of Mormon. Things don't necessarily ratchet up quickly, but progress realistically and the film feels quicker than it's 1 hour 45min. There's some useful cameos from Topher Grace and Elle Young, but otherwise it's all about the 3 main characters interacting.

While not being disrespectful to one religion more than others, I think the film treads a fine line between being a rant on the pros or cons of religions and deals well with some of the stereotypes. While Reed may end up being a lunatic, he certainly raises some valid points! The horror is not too violent in general, with some shocking moments, and a suitable and semi-ambiguous ending.

'Memoir of a Snail' is Adam Elliot's second full-length stop-motion-animation film (15 years after the excellent 'Mary & Max'), and is another thoughtful, often-sad, sometimes funny, look at the life of a young girl, but this time they're twins - Grace (Snook) and Gilbert (Smit-McPhee). They suffer some tragedies and are forced to grow up in separate houses in Canberra and Perth.

Grace's backstory and her obsession with snails is done well, taking up most of the film, and while there's lots of depressing moments - and some odd/adult ones! - there's plenty of heart and silver-linings/hope that drives the story. Part of this is quirk Pinky (Weaver) and how she plays into the happy ending. I assume chunks of this film are inspired by Elliot's real life...

Great voice cast, with Eric Bana, Tony Armstrong, Magda Szubanski and Nick Cave too. The use of colour and texture of the Claymation is superb, with the detail exceptional, especially in the title scene. It's always fun and quirky to look at, with multiple things happening on the screen in every shot. Only 95min, but a near-lifetime is packed in, with plenty of touching moments.