In 2004, Adam Elliot took home Oscar gold with his animated short film Harvie Krumpet, a film about the life of a simple man named Harvie Krumpet who tries to learn as much as he can about life. He used stop motion animation, a form of animation that is most commonly linked with TV Christmas specials like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The film is somewhat grim, funny, and heartfelt, something that this type of animation is rarely scene with.
Five years later, Elliot comes back with his first feature film Mary and Max. As impressed as I was with Harvie Krumpet I was doubly impressed with this one. He uses the same style of animation only this time his skills are much more precise, detailed, and effective. He tells the story of Mary Daisy Dinkle, a young girl living in 1970s Australia who has no friends except for her pet rooster and favorite television show. One day she decides to reach out across the world to someone who might be her friend. She finds a New York City phone book picks out a random name: Max Jerry Horovitz.
Max lives alone in his apartment with his one eyed cat and pet fish (who he needs to constantly replace). He is an overweight, middle aged man with Asperger syndrome, a form of autism. He too has no friends and is in need of some companionship, although he is somewhat afraid of the outside world and strangers. He finally decides to write her back, and the two begin their friendship across the sea.
The film is comprised of narration, by Barry Humphries, and voice over from Mary and Max reading their letters, voiced by Bethany Whitmore as younger Mary, Toni Collette as older Mary, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Max. Their letters and the in between narration is hysterical and incredibly clever. I like the little tidbits we are given like the way Mary's mother drinks her sherry and how Max eats chocolate hot dogs, his own recipe. They make the characters more interesting.
Elliot creates a vivid world filled with right and wrong. He uses colors to define the two different continents, giving Australia brown and earthy tones while New York is black, white, and everything in between, with the exception of a red pompom that Mary sends Max. Much like their separate worlds, they both blend in as if no one else would notice them. These characters are simple, average people who go the distance to make their lives a little more comfortable. It's sublime to see these characters grow up through the years and age and learn. We become so attached.
There is so much to love about this movie. The quirky little one liners to the incredibly detailed and well done stop motion animation. Each character has clearly defined features, unique movement, and like so many stop motion pieces, there is nothing jumpy or out of place about the animation. It is smooth, coherent, and compelling to watch. As impressive as it is the writing is just as good. You really get a feeling for these characters through the narration and their writing. If there was some way you could help them out you would. They are just so lovable.
This is one of the best films I have seen this year. It's a wonderful film aimed at a more mature audience. I don't know if it can compete with Disney and Pixar's Up, but I wouldn't be surprised to see this at least get a nomination from the Academy, as it has already been honored at this year's Berlin International Film Festival. It's a great achievement when a film can make you feel so happy the entire way through.
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