Mary and Max, 2009

Mary and Max, 2009
Director: Adam Eliott
Cast: Toni Collette, Philip Seymour Hoffmann, Eric Bana


Short summary: A tale of friendship between two unlikely pen pals: Mary, a lonely, eight-year-old girl living in the suburbs of Melbourne, and Max, a forty-four-year old, severely obese man living in New York.

Stage: home theatre
Preps: none whatsoever - I have this for some time, downloaded it at a point and it has been waiting in queue. Why not see this on a rainy Sunday, right?


Reality:
It's an animated movie, made with a strong and modern technique. I love the expressions of these characters (the way they designed them), as well as the fact that the director (and the writer in the same person) decided to focus on a deep topic of distant friendships, pen pal friendship.

The relationship between Mary and Max evolves with the time and has a lifetime cycle. From what it seems a bit naive and shallow at the beginning, evolves a strong friendship of two lonely and misunderstood people (within their own worlds).

The way, in which the world of Mary and world of Max is described, is absolutely brilliant. With a smooth touch of irony or black humour, most of modern problems of modern families are depicted precisely in the lives of these two individuals. The representation of internal fears, some of them still immature (in the shape of Mary) and some of them reflected even years after the traumatic events happened (the psychology of Max, mentally disoriented man in his last third of life).

Also, the nature of the friendship is interesting - it happens because of a coincidence in which Mary selects one person to write to and it just so happens that this lonely man responds. From this point on as they write to each other, they reflect their souls. This is just what makes this piece special. It is a rare occasion that we express our feelings so directly and so personal, however, it seems that it's more likely that we do that to someone we don't know in person. Which is precisely the case here.

I recommend this one strongly as I feel I need to think about this movie hours after I have seen it. And this is what makes a good piece in my opinion. If it doesn't touch my soul, it's not worth recommending it or seeing it again. I believe it fed my ironic soul and mind with deep truths each one of us carries with him or her.


One of the best things in this piece: Do you have a favourite-sounding word? My top 5 are ointment, bumblebee, Vladivostok, banana and testicle. (Max Horowitz in one of his letters)

Such a great thing, to have five words selected to be your top favourite ones for any reason at all. I have thought whether I have such a selection, and in my language, I actually don't. But the movie gave me the idea to do that. Or to select favourite expressions.



And another one, that burst the laughter out of me: Unfortunately, in America, babies are not found in cola cans. I asked my mother when I was four and she said they came from eggs laid by rabbis. If you aren't Jewish, they're laid by Catholic nuns. If you're an atheist, they're laid by dirty, lonely prostitutes.





My personal rating: 8,0 (a very deep story about this friendship touched me in several ways and on different levels. I am sure it will touch you).

Mary and Max on IMDB

Official Site of Mary and Max