Alex
Mary and Max
Posted on: 05/14/2012 23:21
Mary and Max is a quirky, wonderful and original film from Australia, This award winning and highly acclaimed film from 2009, is based on a true story about a 20 year friendship between Mary Dinkle, and Max Horovitz.
A black comedy, it deals with various themes, like Aspergers, mental illness, child neglect, disability and the redeeming values of honesty, friendship, acceptance, forgiveness and love. While done in a format seen in children’s movies, it is a very adult film, which had me smiling and crying at the same time.
Mary and Max start a twenty two year pen pal relationship, when at the age of eight, Mary finds a New York telephone book, and is intrigue and decides to write to Max, whose name and address she picks out of the book.
Mary is a lonely 8 year old living in Australia with no siblings or friends, and alcoholic parents who neglect her, and who have told her that she was an accident. Max is a 6 foot 44 years old, 350 pound, atheist and Jew from New York, who has been in and out of mental hospitals. In his childhood he was abandoned by his father and his mother committed suicide. He also finds out in the film that he also has Aspergers. Mary becomes his one and only friends, and Max fills Mary life with happiness, and inspires her to go on to study and eventual do her PhD on Asbergers Syndrome.
The voice over work is wonderful, with Barry Humphreys (Dame Edna) being the narrator.
Visually the Claymation is stunning and highly detailed, in monochromatic colours, with splashes of colour.
I watched it on Netflix, but it is also widely available online. I highly recommend it to people on Wondercafe, not only because it is a great movie, but also because it explored many different themes which we encounter here.
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Comments
Alex
Posted on: 05/14/2012 23:25
Has anyone else seen this film? And what did you think? or perhaps feel?
somegalfromcan
Posted on: 05/14/2012 23:26
Thanks for the recommendation Alex - that movie looks really interesting.
InannaWhimsey
Posted on: 05/14/2012 23:35
Coolies, that looks like an animated version of Richard Linklater`s Before Sunset (video).
Alex
Posted on: 05/15/2012 07:39
I found that the full movie movie has been posted to Youtube. So you can watch it for free now.
Alex
Posted on: 05/15/2012 17:32
I have started to notice more and more full length movies being posted on Youtube like Mary and Max.
ninjafaery
Posted on: 05/15/2012 18:39
Thanks for reminding me of this one Alex. I've seen it and can recommend it highly. It's really refreshing to watch a movie that is a departure from the usual overworked plots. It's great!
I found the DVD @ the library.
somegalfromcan
Posted on: 05/15/2012 23:32
Thanks Alex - I will watch that a little later this week when I have more time.
Baylacey
Posted on: 06/03/2012 22:04
Hi Alex,
I just finished watcing Mary and Max. The claymation, as you said, was amazing, and I enjoyed the story. So many themes explored. The bit about Mary's neighbour being homophobic was cute and I enjoyed the development of Mary's thought processes as she aged. I always enjoy a movie that can pull on my heartstrings.
somegalfromcan
Posted on: 06/04/2012 15:18
I forgot to post that I had actually watched this and really enjoyed it. It was a beautifully told story.