Rent Mary and Max (2009)

Bittersweet & Heartbreaking Tragicomedy Filmed in Greyscale with Wonky Plasticine - Mary and Max review by PV

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Then watched some of the extras and found the MAKING OF fascinating but also the 2003 Oscar-winning short film HARVIE KRUMPET and realised that this MARY AND MAX is a remake of that, in so many ways. I recommend watching it (give the tedious allegedly acted-out live-action 'comedy' scenes at the studio a miss).

In fact, the films are SO similar re the characters and story that I am getting them confused and mixed up when remembering them! MARY AND MAX adds a New York US connection, I suppose, with HARVIE KRUMPET. Both have Jewish older lone male oddballs at their heart. To tackle mental illness and other social issues in a film without being preachy or getting all moral and judgemental is an achievement in itself.

Both films are in the tragicomedy genre with themes of a bittersweet nature and psychological development of the often loner/outcast characters; both are shot in greyscale stop-motion with Plasticine (invented 1897!) which Britain's Aardman studios in Bristol have made their own in recent years. I salute the patience of all these people - animation takes years and weeks just to film a second or two of footage sometimes. Not for me... only to watch, anyway!

The film relies a lot on the voiceover, this time by the late great Barry Humphries (Dame Edna Everage) and some top-class US actors playing the characters including the late Philip Seymour Hoffman who ironically died of a drug overdose in a New York apartment age just 46... The first HARVIE KRUMPET Oscar-winning short is narrated by Geoffrey Rush, so somehow this film maker has a knack of attracting top talent to his animations!

I recommend all who like this to watch 2016 ETHEL AND ERNEST - a more traditional drawn animation feature film by The Snowman;s Raymond Bridge which also deals with mental illness - that is as heartbreaking as this ultimately is.

As near to "perfection" as I could imagine. - Mary and Max review by ML

Even if you have a heart of stone, this will move you.

A simple tale, well told, and without giving anything away it will take you through most every emotion going.

I cannot rate this highly enough and as a bonus the Oscar-winning short Harvie Krumpet is included, which in and of itself is a delight.

Trust me, watch this film, you will love it.