Mary and Max

[Savor Dam]

I know that some Watchers may be wary of this because of the subject matter; that they may be concerned about the portrayal of a character with Aspergers Syndrome.

By way of reassurance, here is what a reviewer from Australia posted on the IMDb website:

I thought this movie was very well made. I can relate to Max's character, as i work with people who have Aspergers Syndrome. The creator showed the audience what it is really like, in society, to have a mental disability of this kind. The use of gray colour with a splash of red when showing the scenes with Max, was very effective, and give the audience the sense of what Max was feeling. I saw this movie with work colleagues who also work with children with this disorder, and we were all curious to see how this disorder would be shown. We were all very pleased.

This movie shows the audience what people with asperges syndrome go through in day to day life, and how they don't understand things that most people would. As well as how they do/do not cope with some issues.

This movie is not for children. It is quite sad, but with some really funny parts. and for those who live in Melbourne, especially, you will understand some of the references.

I give this movie 10/10.

After 5 years in the making it is definitely worth watching

[dANdeLION]

Rotten Tomatoes gave it 91%. Very impressive.

Synopsis: "Mary and Max" tells the simple story of a 20-year pen-pal friendship between two very different people: Mary Dinkle, a chubby, lonely 8-year-old girl living in the suburbs of Melbourne, and Max Horowitz, a 44-year-old Jewish man, who is severely obese, suffers from Asperger's syndrome, and lives an isolated life in New York City. It is very much a triumph of emotion, insight, and eccentricity-a complete delight. Animation's ability to capture the intricate complexity of life has never been on display in as absorbing fashion as with the storytelling of this Australian filmmaker, who truly makes you forget what you are watching. The originality of the voices in this ever-spinning kaleidoscope of innocence and idiosyncrasy comes straight from an incredibly rich imagination and complete artistic vision. This desire for acceptance and love amid the pain of existence is masterfully narrated by Barry Humphries and fleshed out by the voices of Philip Seymour Hoffman and Toni Collette. This film that explores friendship, autism, taxidermy, psychiatry, alcoholism, where babies come from, obesity, kleptomania, trust, copulating dogs, sexual and religious differences, agoraphobia, and more, and is rooted in a very personal relationship, is proof of why we go to the movies and a truly exceptional portrait of compassion and love

[Savor Dam]

I am not sure what has become of Lorin's posts introducing this thread, but since they have disappeared, I want to give credit where due. Lorin is the one who suggested this touching and well-made movie. While the thread now seems to begin with my follow-up post, she is the originator of this thread.