Almighty claymation

Such a simple tale of pen-pal friendship between two nobodies can hardly be considered a secure basis for the screenplay of a mainstream commercial animation. But director and screenwriter Adam Elliot not only brings the clay characters to life but also exquisitely turns a bunch of letters into emotionally complex communications. With sardonic humor and innocent imaginings mixed in, the story of 瑪莉 and Max is full of life's dissonances and has a dark and bitter undertone. However, a bit of psychology may explain why it is by no means depressing as a whole. When a movie tells of someone's heartbreaking misfortune in a surprisingly optimistic tone, a viewer usually loses the ability to either laugh or cry. Instead, they have to abandon any particular emotion and actively explore the humanity in an aching yet broad sense. Most perceptive moviegoers may find there are elements of 瑪莉 and Max buried somewhere in their own subconscious. It calls for a lot of hard work for a movie to bring the audience to this realization. The movie 瑪莉 and Max builds on it deft humor, vivid narration and profound humanity to finally culminates in a beautifully constructed aesthetic. I give this absolute gem an 8.5 out of 10.