Review: Memoir of a Snail

Official Synopsis: A bittersweet memoir of a melancholic woman called Grace Pudel (Sarah Snook) - a hoarder of snails, romance novels, and guinea pigs.

I need you to understand how caught off guard I was by this movie. When I received a screener, I saw "Sarah Snook" and "Memoir of a Snail" and was sold on that alone. Cool title, great actress, stop motion. Spectacular. I'm in. Didn't even read the synopsis. 

I now feel personally attacked by director Adam Elliott. I couldn't tell you when I started crying while watching this. Definitely early on, but I did not stop until well after the credits rolled. I was not expecting this to be so relentlessly sad.  Even though the film is peppered with some truly hysterical scenes it always comes back to Grace and how alone she is now. I'm not familiar with Elliott's work, it sounds like melancholy is his thing, but at least I know to be prepared next time I watch one of his films.

And I will, because tears aside, this really was a one of a kind story. Not that grief is unique, but Grace was. Her experiences were and even though they made me sad, I'm glad I listened to her story until the very end. 

I don't like feeling sad, but it did make me FEEL. And I suppose that's what we all want from our movies.

Grade: B+