Stop motion is always a labour of love: spending months and sometimes years slightly tweaking a clay mans face from a smile into a grimace would be enough to break most people. Thankfully this wasnt the case for Aussie auteur Adam Elliot whose bittersweet look at isolation and social anxiety, Mary and Max takes viewers through a spectrum of emotions despite the fact its characters look like they came from Aardmans off-cut basement. The multi-award winning animation boasts an impressive cast; with Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Toni Colette and Eric Bana all lending their considerable talent to bring their characters to life. Colette plays Mary, a lonely Australian girl who is ostracized by her peers because of an unsightly birthmark who finds solace in a platonic pen pal relationship with Max (Hoffman) a middle-aged, obese New Yorker with Aspergers. Their communication helps both of them through difficult times in their life despite numerous hurdles along the way. Although there is a grotesque feel to the films aesthetic, Elliot is able to bring out moments of real beauty from imperfect characters. Its central message that lasting, meaningful connections can cross social and cultural boundaries is one thats hard not to get behind.
A pop culture mad writer from the North East who loves films, television and debating them with whoever will listen.
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