Mary and Max

Horrorphile

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Mary and Max

April 13th 2010 22:32

I missed this delightfully off-kilter, even perverse, animated feature from the hugely talented Australian writer/director Adam Elliot, when it had its theatrical season. Catching up with it on DVD it was even better than I imagined, and now Mary and Max (2009) rests comfortably amongst my very favourite animated feature movies, such as Wizards (1977), Akira (1989), and Monsters vs. Aliens (2009).

Firstly, I love claymation, having grown up with Tony Hart’s curious creation Morph on pioneering UK childrens' show Vision On. Adam Elliott won the Oscar for animated short with Harvey Krumpet (who makes a cameo in Mary and Max), but in typical absurd fashion the Academy snubbed Mary and Max for this year’s Awards. I guess the Jewish angle hit a raw nerve with those old fuddy-duddy Academy members.

Mary Dinkle

Mary and Max tells the very eccentric tale (apparently based on a true story) of 8-year-old Mary Dinkle (voiced by Toni Collette), a lonely, slightly strange little girl living in the suburbs of Melbourne, and her snail mail friendship (which she strikes up by randomly picking a name and address from the New York directory at her local post office) with 44-year-old Max Horowitz (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), an obese Jewish man in Manhattan on his lonesome, and suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome (anxious and socially-challenged).

Max Horowitz

Narrated with spot-on intonation by Barry Humphries the story starts in the mid-70s and spans twenty years. It’s a difficult journey that explores friendship (obviously), addiction, loneliness, religion, fear, yearning, sex, trust and betrayal. There are, in fact, so many psychological and physical themes running through this modest length movie it’s hard to keep a handle on the brew, yet the tone is so brilliantly balanced that it makes for a crazy, dysfunctional dream of trouble and joy.

Mary's sherry-swilling mother

Let me make one thing clear however, Mary and Max is not designed for children. There are too many adult situations, concepts and themes at play that will cause anyone younger than a teenager to be scratching their heads and/or bugging mum and dad for clarification. Yet, and this I found a little disconcerting, the movie is rated PG. This is a movie that deals with attempted suicide and electro-shock therapy and has a disturbed (albeit well-meaning) adult writing to a young girl about condoms and testicles. Admittedly the context of these incidents is light-hearted and non-sexual, but still, this is a movie that should be tagged with a mature rating. I often find it difficult understanding the criteria used by the Australian film classifications board, but that’s another kettle of fish …

Max in the bath

Support from Eric Bana voicing Mary’s would-be boyfriend Damien (once she’s become a young woman), and Aussie veterans, singer Renee Geyer as Mary's soaked mother Vera, and television host Molly Meldrum, as a homeless man. But it's Seymour Hoffman who threatens to steal the show, his voice characterisation as Horowitz is nothing short of inspired; the Williamsburg rabbi’s would be proud. But the real star is Elliott’s amazing work as animator. A claymation feature takes forever to film, a true labour of love. The miniatures of Melbourne, but especially New York City are fantastic, as is the art direction – the sepia-tones of Mary’s suburb vs. the grey hues of Max’s big city.

Electro-shock therapy

Mary and Max cleverly tackles life’s innocence, but without being naïve. It deals with the harsh realities of life’s darker ironies, without losing sight of hope, but while it’s frequently very funny, it’s most definitely a pitch black comedy. Mary and Max is streaked with sadness, a twisted feel-good movie that operates like a kitsch and peculiar dream.

Despite its shadowy, bewildered psyche, this is one of the least nightmarish movies I’ve reviewed … but it still fits my glove.

Here's the trailer:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

5 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Jason King

April 14th 2010 10:35

Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness

Bloody loved this - I got to sit through a Q&A with Elliot afterwards - was great hearing him speak about it. The dedication and patience to make claymation is astounding.

Nice review Bryn!!

Comment by Bryn

April 15th 2010 01:20

Horrorphile

Jason, wow, Q&A would've been awesome. Yeah, the actual animation part is a deeply laborious process, but I guess when you're as dedicated and committed as someone like Adam Elliott you embrace it lovingly.