Displaying all 2 Review

• Things that make life worth living — for Mary and Max
  Written by lovelyT on 09.04.2010

  There are times when people ask themselves, what is my purpose, why am I alive, what's my role here on Earth? We often ponder over meaningless things and situations or try to dig deep and reflect upon the most difficult questions about our existence.
  But small things are the ones that make our lives worthy and interesting. Because when we find a meaning in them, then they are not small anymore.

  The last cartoon I've seen was Mary and Max, a beautiful, warm-hearted story which completely differs from the cartoons we are used to these last years. The plot revolves around two people, a middle aged New Yorker Max and Mary, a little girl from Australia who become pen friends. They start to write to each other and slowly become best friends, chatting about most common issues, such as chocolate, babies or their favourite cartoon figures. The story is so well written and told that the viewer can't help but being dragged into their world and start feeling compassion for their sad and "meaningless" lives.

  Sad and meaningless at first. But as the story unfolds its beauty, step by step we start to understand its purpose and the whole meaning of the cartoon. Through a vast number of funny and humorous situations, crazy and witty characters and their flaws/virtues and above all, a perfectly written scenario, we begin to understand what life is all about. It's about compassion, warmness, beauty (but that inner beauty which we often neglect) and mostly love. All of these things are hidden among those little things that make our life worth living. It is only the matter of time we figure it out and start living, because sometimes it might be too late.

  LovelyT

• About Letters and Friends — for Mary and Max
  Written by marinaraujo on 21.03.2010

  (AUS - 2009)

  Mary and Max is an Australian animated film, written and directed by Adam Elliot, with the voices of Bethany Whitmore (young Mary Daisy Dinkle), Toni Collette (older Mary), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Max Jerry Horovitz) and Eric Bana (Damien). It was nominated to Annecy Internacional Animated Film Festival 2009 (Cathegory: Feature Film Award), Asia Pacific Screen Award 2009 (Best Animated Feature Film), Australian Director's Guide 2009 (Best Director in a Feature Film), Berlin International Film Festival 2009 (Cathegory: Generation 14plus - Best Feature Film) and for the Grand Prize of Ottawa International Animation Festival 2009 and won all of the five prizes.

  Mary is an 8-year-old Australian girl, whose mother is an alcoholic and whose father would rather stay with his stuffed birds than give her some care. Through this not very kind atmosphere (Vera, Mary's mom, likes to "borrow" things - one of the very frequent euphemisms in this film hehe), Mary finds the adress of a 44-year-old man who lives in New York and becomes his pen pal.

  As you may presume, this 44-year-old man is called Max, an atheist guy who doesn't feel comfortable with romantic intimity. At first, they tell each other aspects of their daily life and the letter exchange works like a therapy for Max, who has always had a lonely and complexed life for being a bit over the ideal weight. He helps Mary with his experiences as a kid and she offers him the view of a child for his troubles.

  Surprisingly, there are Mary typical childish questions (and not the complexity of adult problems) that develop paranoia crisis in Max. Their mail connection is broken and they have to continue their lives without each other, which is the biggest challenge they face in the film imo. Once Mary is grown and tries to help him, things get even worse and it's almost impossible to think that there will be a solution for such an impasse.

  Of course I won't spoil the plot and I'll let you find it out when you get the film and watch it. Mary and Max is about life, love, friendship, and about how we can learn things with people who are very different from us. A funny, sweet, gripping and must-see film!