Film Review || Mary and Max (2009) 'Australia'

fig 1.

Mary and Max (2009) directed and written by Adam Elliot is the story about a young girl named Mary living in 1970s Australia who is incidental pen pals with Max, an older Jewish man living in an apartment in New York by himself. They become fast friends in an animated story that is filled with chemistry and drama, leaving the viewer with the sense that they had just watched someones life unfold.

The basis is formed when a young girl from Australia becomes pen pals with someone else on the other side of the world, inherently leading to an interesting premise in conjunction with captivating animation. By chance the receiving end appears to be an older overweight man who has trouble maintaining friendships and her letter gives him a taste of the real world beyond the city. The importance of good foundation can lead to an overall success with capturing interest from critics.

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Stylistically it is somewhat grey or dreary at moments of negative emotion, muted colours help to set the stage when the characters recall events from their past. Sometimes bright colours help to break the mood to indicate transition. In Australia it has a more yellow/sepia filter to it to help illustrate the ideal nature of her world in comparison to that of New York from Max's perspective, highlighting how the nostalgic aura of Mary and Max contributes to style. Film noir is a key contributor to its status as well, helping to underline the more serious scenes presented.

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Production must have been well thought out and settled, as the presence of stop motion filming techniques would go to show the workmanship that was poured into the final product had faith in its premise. Sound design accurately reflects both the fictional and the real world, although it can get repetitive at times during similar scenes where they re use music. In terms of environment it encapsulates the sense of suburbia; a closed in, man made world, ideally human, but on the whole hopelessly congested.

Figures
fig 1. Elliot, A. (2009) Mary and Max. [film still] [21/01/18]
fig 2. Elliot, A. (2009) Mary and Max. [film still] [21/01/18]
fig 3. Elliot, A. (2009) Mary and Max. [film still] [21/01/18]