Mary And Max review

Some stop motion pen-pals make for heartwarming and hilarious viewing

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The pen-pal relationship between a lonely little girl from Australia and an obese New Yorker with Asperger’s syndrome might not seem a sturdy base for a stop-motion claymation.

But in the hands of director Adam Elliot, it’s a platform for deliciously dark wit, beautifully crafted ’toonery and fine voice work, particularly from Philip Seymour Hoffman as ‘Aspie’ Max.

Shifting between a sepia Oz and a monochrome Manhattan, Elliot’s record of an unconventional friendship revels in grotesque detail and scatological humour, but yields unexpected depth and poignancy.

Neil Smith
Neil Smith
Freelance Writer

Neil Smith is a freelance film critic and writer who contributes regularly to Heat, SFX and Screen International. He's a long-time member of the London Film Critics’ Circle and was a contributing editor at Total Film for many years.