Blu-Ray Review: Animated Masterpiece ‘Mary and Max’ Deserves Audience

Printer-friendly versionE-mail page to friendPDF version

CHICAGO – A disturbingly small number of people were given the chance to see Adam Elliot’s brilliant and moving “Mary and Max,” one of the most notable releases in arguably the best year in the history of modern animation. While “Coraline,” “Up,” “The Princess and the Frog,” and even “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” made headlines, a beautiful little film about an unusual friendship went under the radar. Don’t miss it.

Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0

Mary Dinkle (later voiced by Toni Collette) is an insecure, chubby, lonely, eight-year-old Australian girl with a birthmark on her forehead that resembles poop. She has a relatively miserable life with an alcoholic mother and a father who could generously be called distant. Mary becomes confused about how babies are born and she randomly plucks a name and address from an NYC phone book and pens a letter to Max Horowitz (Philip Seymour Hoffman) looking for answers.

Mary and Max was released on Blu-ray and DVD on June 15th, 2010
Photo credit: IFC Films

Max is a quiet, obese, lonely Jewish man with Asperger’s Syndrome and the two form a remarkable pen pal relationship, helping each other deal with a world that neither of them really understand and that doesn’t exactly welcome them with open arms. Max helps Mary through adolescence and Mary helps Max get through daily life in the Big Apple.

Mary and Max was released on Blu-ray and DVD on June 15th, 2010 Photo credit: IFC Films

The entire bittersweet tale is narrated by the great Barry Humphries as if it’s framed as a modern fairy tale but Elliot smartly doesn’t shy away from the more serious tones of this true story. “Mary and Max” features many dark chapters, including analysis of serious mental issues, but it is also incredibly inspiring without once feeling manipulative in its heartstring-pulling. In a scene, Max is handed a candy heart that says “Love Yourself First.” Elliot’s film is about how sometimes it can take a friend, even the most unexpected one, to make that very good advice possible.

“Mary and Max” not only features one of the best vocal performances in the history of animation from Mr. Hoffman (Collette is typically fantastic as well) but it’s a visually striking film that makes a perfect fit for HD. It’s not a colorful film — most of NYC looks black-and-white while Australia is represented in sepia brown — but the scarcity of design elements allows the viewer to focus on the title characters, who are both perfectly rendered, beautiful creations. You will be blown away by how much you care about Mary and Max. After you’ve wiped a tear from your eye, share “Mary and Max” with others. It’s the kind of film that will build a following through word-of-mouth and it’s up to us to get people talking.

Special Features:
o US Trailer
o International Trailer
o Commentary
o Behind the Scenes
o Making Of
o Alternate Scenes
o Casting Call
o Oscar-winning Short Film: Harvie Krumpet

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com