I really liked this. It's one of those working class gangster movies. The villains are not your Hans Gruber super villains, not your DeNiro/Mann studious master thief. These guys are like you'd see in The Bill, The Sweeney, Hill Street Blues. They are led be a brutal matriarch who Neighbours fans will probably recognize.
I am learning a new respect for Australian films, I've always known they are out there, but for some reason it's easier to find foreign language films than down under movies. Sure with films like Heavenly Creatures, Muriels Wedding and Prescilla Queen of the Desert we know they are capable of top quality output, but a lot of it is forgotten or hidden.
So I won't go into plot details, just let you know that this is more than about a boy becoming a man, it's a good solid study of malevolent behaviour in an action (but not explosions every two minutes) flick.
Showing posts with label Australian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Australian. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Friday, November 26, 2010
Mary and Max
This is a wonderful full length animation. Set in Australia and New York, its a simple romance story of a young girl and her pen pal. Her pen pal is older, and sees the world from a very different perspective. It's later revealed that he is an Aspie.
The coloration of the film is wonderful. Mary is lacking in confidence, has a pill popping mother who is fighting or rather falling victim to depression. Marys world is the scorched sepia tones one could almost associate with dry grass of eternal summers. Max's world is black and white and scarlet. The only color being in the lipstick of the woman who has a crush on him, and a pompom Mary makes for him.
The coloring is well in keeping with the locations and the characters moods. No this is not a depressing movie.
The two lead characters develop a natural relationship, managing to irk each other periodically, but having the strength of friendship to see it through.
Though Max is almost stereotypical for an Aspie, we have to forgive the creators this, as he is a plainly stated, clear to understand representation, he is a starting point, much as in Rain Man where the world was introduced to "classical" autism.
The mix of gross out humour and a loving coming of age story blend together into a well constructed film. Go ahead and see this one soon.
The coloration of the film is wonderful. Mary is lacking in confidence, has a pill popping mother who is fighting or rather falling victim to depression. Marys world is the scorched sepia tones one could almost associate with dry grass of eternal summers. Max's world is black and white and scarlet. The only color being in the lipstick of the woman who has a crush on him, and a pompom Mary makes for him.
The coloring is well in keeping with the locations and the characters moods. No this is not a depressing movie.
The two lead characters develop a natural relationship, managing to irk each other periodically, but having the strength of friendship to see it through.
Though Max is almost stereotypical for an Aspie, we have to forgive the creators this, as he is a plainly stated, clear to understand representation, he is a starting point, much as in Rain Man where the world was introduced to "classical" autism.
The mix of gross out humour and a loving coming of age story blend together into a well constructed film. Go ahead and see this one soon.
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