If you're wondering what kind of movie an animated film about alcoholism, adultery and Asperger's - and I'm just hitting the A's here, people - can be, just look at this trailer for Mary And Max.
Mary's a lonely kid in Australia, Max is an even lonelier adult in New York City. Mary's world is brown and Max's is grey. But in both of their lives, there are flashes of color. A bright barette, a red scarf, a homemade pompom and more keep what we're seeing on screen from becoming too dull.
That's what the movie ends up doing with their lives too. Sure, there's the odd note of quirky whimsy. It's narrated by Barry Humphries - you should probably expect that. But it's not scared to show the horror that some people have to suffer through. At different points in the movie, Max ends up in a mental hospital and Mary wants to kill herself, but the movie somehow manages a graceful and happy ending. Mary and Max don't overcome their problems, they just accept them. Anything from a chocolate bar, to a package, to a child has given them just enough happiness to get by.
This storyline is more convincing than something like Adam, where any problems are sewn up so tightly the characters have to smile smugly over the final montage. Real life, where a lot of us end up spending most of our lives in greyscale, isn't like that. But most of us are lucky enough to find enough little things, even if they're not mismatched penpals from overseas, to make it worthwhile. Mary and Max was one of the best movies I've ever seen to capture this. Once you see it, you'll agree.
If you're in Montreal, check out Mary and Max at the AMC-22. It started this weekend and will hopefully stick around for a few weeks.
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