Masterfully directed, edited and animated to pique your interest from the off, it has you falling into the worlds of Mary and Max and sharing their challenging journeys through life, as well as their genuine, realistic and engaging correspondence and gifts to each other. Stuffed full of sad and sorrowful events, the solitude and isolation felt by both characters is palpable all the way through. Not really a film to make you smile but one that will make you think and that, after all, is what the best of storytelling is really all about.

In 1976, in Australia, the misfit and outcast eight-year old girl Mary Daisy Dinkle lives in Mount Waverley with her alcoholic shoplifter mother Vera Lorraine Dinkle that is addicted in Sherry and her absent father Noel Norman Dinkle that works in the Earl Grey Factory attaching strings in the teabag and spends his leisure time in his hobby - taxidermy. Mary has absolutely no friends and is teased by her schoolmate Benny Clifford. She has a complex because of her brown birthmark in the forehead and she adores her favorite cartoon The Noblets that she watches with her rooster Ethel and condensed milk. Meanwhile, in New York, the lonely forty-four year-old Max Jerry Horowitz has Asperge Syndrome and trouble to sleep and is obese since he eats chocolate hot-dogs to compensate his anxiety. He frequently goes to the Overeaters Anonymous Meeting. Max does not have any friend, only the invisible Mr. Ravioli, and also loves The Noblets. His life goals are to have a friend, Noblets and chocolate. One day, Mary picks Max address out of an American phone-book and she decides to write to him to ask from where babies come in America. Along their lives, they become pen pals and their unusual friendship oscillates due to the anxiety attacks of the unstable Max.

"Mary and Max" is an unforgettable and heartbreaking bleak tale of friendship and loneliness. The story is bittersweet and witty, with an ironic black humor and provokes the most conflictive emotions in the viewers, funny in a moment, and depressive in the other. The excellent animation follows the dark style of Tim Burton and the screenplay is a profound insight in human behavior. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Mary and Max – Uma Amizade Diferente" ("Mary and Max – A Different Friendship")

Having already watched several of Adam Elliot's other films ("Harvey Krumpet", "Brother", "Cousin" and "Uncle"),I felt a strong compulsion to watch "Mary and Max". After all, these other films were wonderful and very original and you find yourself hooked when you watch them--though you probably won't know why. Now, with Elliot's latest film, I have a chance to finally watch a feature-length version of his wonderful and very strange work.

The film begins in Australia and concerns a very lonely girl named Mary. Her parents are completely inept at parenting and mostly she entertains herself. One day, on a lark, she rips a name out of an American phone book and writes to a "M. Horowitz"--telling him about herself as well as asking him where babies come from in America. As Max Horowitz is a socially inept odd-ball, his response to her strange letter is amusing to say the least. And, through their ensuing letters to each other they become friends--an 8 year-old girl and a 40+ year-old man and the film consists of showing each writing and narrating their letters.

Where this bizarre business goes, you'll just need to see for yourself. However, without spoiling the film, I can safely say that I never, ever could predict where the film would go next!! Like all of Adam Elliot films, the film is just plain odd--with a delightful strangeness you can't help but like. And, even more than his shorter films, you can't believe how much time and effort he took to make this movie. It's amazing....really. And, fortunately, his work is totally unique and inventive. Aside from his previous shorts, I've never seen anything like it--and I am pretty sure you'll feel the same way if you try this delightfully strange film. Just don't try to understand or make sense of it...it might just make your brain explode. Oh, and do NOT watch it if you are feeling depressed. Although it's got lots of funny moments, the film is VERY, VERY dark--so much so that you should think twice before watching it. And, although the film looks like a kids movie, I would probably think twice before showing it to young kids.