It's always refreshing when a filmmaker takes a particular style and subverts audience expectations, delivering something completely unexpected. At first glance, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Mary And Max is a family-friendly movie along the lines of Wallace And Gromit. That couldn't be further from the truth - everything from Asperger's and anxiety through to depression and suicide is covered in Mary And Max, and yet it never sinks into the depths of miserablism its premise might suggest. Rather, the story of a young Australian girl becoming pen friends with a lonely man in New York is frequently amusing and ultimately incredibly touching. Toni Collette and the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman deliver superb voice acting but writer-director Adam Elliot deserves the most credit for serving up such a compelling world of fleshed out characters. Unfortunately, Mary And Max recouped only a fraction of its budget, so similarly challenging stop motion animated movies aren't likely to be hitting cinemas any time soon.
