The Sundance screenings officially kicked off this evening with the premiere of
MARY AND MAX, an original clay animation film by Australian director Adam Elliot. Based on a true story, the film centers on the unique pen pal relationship between two social outcasts; Mary, an awkward 8 year-old Australian girl trying to make sense of the adult world surrounding her and Max, an obese, neurotic, obsessive-compulsive Jewish man in his 40s (oh, and he has asbergers syndrome too) living in New York City. While the premise sounds a bit like a pedophiles wet dream, the relationship between the two characters never goes beyond friendship, even twenty years down the line when Mary has grown up and finally figured out where babies comes from (watch for a hilarious segment where Max addresses Marys question with a very innovative take on the birds and the bees). While I usually dont go crazy for the animation genre, MARY AND MAX struck a particular chord with me, most likely because of its quirky, highly detailed aesthetic and its wicked adult humour (this is no pixar flick). In its 90 minutes, MARY AND MAX manages to breech every taboo topic possible, from fat jokes, homosexuality, and suicide, to alcoholism, prescription drug abuse and mime-murdering- while at the same time, evoking a charming, highly original atmosphere reminiscent of a Roald Dahl story. While some of my fellow cinema-goers found the film to be a little too dark I fully appreciated the offbeat tone, which was further enhanced by Phillip Seymour Hoffmans pitch perfect voice rendering of Max. Opinions aside, Elliots creative genius is undeniable and I highly recommend seeing this one if you get the chance.