Charming, sublime, unique, moving, hilarious.

Rating: 10/10 (10 June 2011)

I had never heard of this film until my friend told me about a clip of it he'd seen, knowing I was a fan of black comedy. So we sat down to watch the first 10 minutes at 3 in the morning and then we ended up watching the whole thing, neither of us moving from our seats the entire time, fixated. This film is a genuine masterpiece; a unique, stark aesthetic as framework for an engaging exchange between two incredibly complex and lovable characters, the socially awkward Mary and Max, who communicate via letter across different countries.
To skip to the meat of the issue; these characters are hilarious. Their world is hilarious. A universe filled with unexpected visual gags that range from innocent to pitch black. Often you'll not know whether to laugh or cry, as the story developments crush you but imagery on screen is side splitting. For these characters are not just funny, they are tragic. Their world is also tragic. It pleasantly reminds me of Forrest Gump, in the sense that we fall in love with these characters and their naivety because they make us laugh and feel elated, so that when misfortune befalls them the empathy coupled with drastic change of tone hits you like a wrecking ball.
Although many people claim there is no such thing as a perfect film, I don't believe so. To me, a perfect film successfully achieves exactly what it sets out to do with excellent execution that keeps us engaged and entertained. If a film does all this, and lacks any mistakes or moments where it unintentionally takes me out of the experience, to me that is as good as cinema gets for me. This is a perfect film. Whether you agree or disagree, appreciate the effort, charm and beauty that has gone in to this project. 10/10