This year has been an unusually strong year for animation, with plenty of international productions offering real competition to Pixar’s awards dominance. This week, we’re showcasing one of these contenders: an odd and beautiful stop motion work from Australia, Mary and Max.

Based loosely on a true story, the movie tells the tale of an unlikely friendship between Mary Dinkle (voiced by Toni Collette and Bethany Whitmore), a shy, chubby young girl living in a Melbourne suburb, and Max Horovitz (voiced by Philip Seymour Hoffman), an aging Jewish man with Aspergers syndrome living in New York. Purely by chance, the two become pen pals, and through their letters, they help each other grapple with their various problems. But Mary’s insecurity and Max’s instability also prove to be a dangerous mix, their friendship and quarrels leading to some unexpectedly dark places.

The movie disarmingly uses stop motion animation to tell a rather grim story. Inserted within the storybook narration and innocuous visuals is an exploration of loneliness, of living in a world where you just don’t like feel like you belong. The movie has some surprisingly dark scenes, refusing to sugarcoat some of the harsher realities that its story touches on. From this darkness also comes a rather wicked sense of humor that becomes a source of welcome catharsis.

Director Adam Elliot has won an Oscar before for his short Harvie Krumpet. His award winning skills are evident here as well. He uses a limited palette of brown, gray and red to really set off the contrast between the worlds he’s building. It has a really dramatic effect on the storytelling, providing much of the atmosphere and a real sense of visual unity. This is a phenomenal little film, and is a must-see for any fan of animation.

MARY AND MAX
Written and Directed by Adam Elliot
Featuring the voices of Toni Collette, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Eric Bana, Barry Humphries and Bethany Whitmore.
80 Minutes
November 23-26, November 28 (No screening on Friday)
IMDB
Trailer

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