Search - Mary and Max [Blu-ray] on Blu-ray

A very enthusiastic 5 out of 5 stars - you'll laugh, you'll

AIROLF | USA | 09/01/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Simply stated, "Mary and Max" is the perfect film.

I watch a lot of movies; on average, I watch at least one movie every other day. I see a lot of great films, which tend to be classics and creme of the crop films that appear on the critics' annual top ten lists. Inevitably, I also see a lot of bad and mediocre movies.

What makes the experience of movie-watching rewarding for me, what I watch for is that effervescent feeling of being surprised and delighted with the storyline of the film so much so that one forgets one's own personal troubles and is literally transplanted into the world of cinema. Such an experience is rare for anyone, but especially for someone who watches movies with the purpose of then dissecting them and blogging about their shortfalls.

And yet, when one does come across a gem, a film with integrity, values, and, most importantly, heart, one can not help but gush with admiration. "Mary and Max" is the kind of film that stops a person in their tracks and makes them appreciate life. It's the kind of movie that warms the iciest of souls. To borrow from the film itself, "Mary and Max" is the kind of movie that "makes your brain smile."

Indeed, the film is intelligent mentally and emotionally. Without spoiling the plot, I will say that the friendship, companionship, and love that's shared by the title characters transcends beyond what a moviegoer generally sees and experiences at the theater.

How marvelous is "Mary and Max"? It's been about 30 minutes since I've seen it and I'm itching to watch it again. I have a feeling that it's the kind of film that stands up to repeated viewing and one that truly benefits from them as the jokes and animation deserve more reflection and observation.

"Mary and Max" is the kind of film that makes you think. The kind of movie that makes you cry. The kind of film that makes you laugh. The kind of film that makes me happy to be alive. The kind of movie that restores your belief in humanity.

In addition to the skillful stop-motion animation and an impeccable plot, it doesn't hurt that two of the hardest working, most talented actors today have lend their voices for the title characters. Mary is voiced by Toni Colette; whereas Phillip Seymour Hoffman lends his voice for Max.

The truth of the matter is that no amount of praise can define the experience of watching the latest stop-motion claymation animated feature. Drop everything and watch it and discover the perfection for yourself."

A Good Movie on Mental Illness

Tabbymanx | 10/01/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My first impression on the 2008 animated movie "Mary and Max" was that the characters were very ugly. I tend to prefer cute characters in animations. But as the movie went on, I began to understand the wonderful message it attempts to convey.
The gist of the movie is about how mental disorder is misunderstood and mistreated by our society. The protagonist in the movie is an eight-year-old girl named Mary. Mary lives in a dysfunctional family in Australia. She is nerdy and has an unusual mole on her forehead that kids at school like to tease her about. Her "ugliness" makes her a loner and she is very sad about it. One day, she has the idea of making a new friend by writing to a stranger overseas. She especially wants to find out if babies come from beers like those in Australia in other parts of the world. She ends up picking Max, a 40-year-old man with Asperger syndrome living in New York City. They form a strong friendship as pen pals quickly.
Due to this friendship with someone with Asperger, Mary grows up becoming a psychiatrist. Her PhD thesis on Asperger syndrome becomes a bestseller. She then writes to Max enthusiastically about the method she develops that can "cure his disease." Much to her surprise, Max doesn't take that well at all. He hates people calling him abnormal. To him, everyone else is abnormal too. People do irrational things such as throwing trash onto the streets and cutting down trees to suffocate themselves. Max stops writing to Mary. Mary, as the result, develops severe depression. At one point, she commits suicide only to be saved by her wheelchair-bounded neighbor who suffers from a phobia of leaving his home. Incidentally, the bravery of her neighbor turns into a cure for his own phobia.
The movie is filled with characters struggling to reconcile with their own mental disorders. As a previous sufferer of severe depression and also the father of a depressed teenager, I can totally identify with those struggles. What I like the most about the movie is how accurate it portrays mentally challenged people from their own points of view. As a society, we need to learn to see the world through their eyes and I think this movie does a good job inspiring us. We need to accept them as merely different from us but not weird. With compassion and understanding, I believe we can easily integrate them into our society. It is only by doing so will they be comfortable enough to offer their best to our society.
I also want to point out that I finally recognized why the movie uses ugly looking characters. Most people in our society are like me who despite things, either living or non-living, that are ugly. We never took the time to look into their internal beauty. Mary and Max are both wonderful people. Mary has a kind heart and Max is both simple and complex at the same time. So, I admit this is discrimination and I need to work on it.
Despite of the seriousness of the subject, the movie chooses to use a light-hearted means to deliver the message, which is a style I like. Unfortunately, I wish the humors lasted longer instead of mere sprinkles here and there. But that is just a minor defect. All in all, I highly recommend the movie.
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