A truly unusually brilliant film.

Rating: 9/10 (7 October 2010)

I was tempted to give this film ten stars, but "Mary and Max" seems to give the message that Aspies and Autistic people shouldn't be "cured" in any way, which is not the case.
I was lucky enough to watch this at a pre-release screening in Scotland and I must say I am very glad I watched "Mary and Max". Not only is it well-animated, but the ideas presented, the ironic, black humour and the storyline are simply spectacular. When I saw an advert for this film the animation reminded me of Tim Burton animations such as "The Nightmare Before Christmas", but it is a totally different from anything like that. There are many adult themes and black jokes presented in this film, meaning I would not recommend it for anyone under the age of twelve, simply because it is too good to misunderstand.
I will continue this review by commenting on each of the aspects in turn.
Dialogue and storyline: This film is very well written. The idea of a young girl writing to a 40 year old man with Asperger's is one which is not only very unexpected, but very clever. It allows not only an intelligent, at times funny script, but it also allows the viewer to understand more about Aspies and the world in general. Some of the humour included is very funny, but at the same time this film also has very sad parts. Overall, this film is not to be taken lightly.
Animation and filming: This film is almost solely plasticine animation, which gives it an appropriately nostalgic style, along with the sepia and black and white filming. The life of the Australian girl is sepia, in browns like her birthmark and eyes. The life of the American is black and white, reflecting how gloomy most of his experiences are.
Themes: The themes presented include: Asperger's Syndrome, Depression, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Communism, Psychology, Processed foods, Sweet foods, Blindness and Suicide, among many others. Some of these may not be apparent to younger or even very Aspie viewers, to truly understand this view one needs quite a wide knowledge of the world. The themes are either dealt with in a comic or melancholy way, each leaving its own imprint on the film and making it more entertaining.
As I mentioned above, the only thing that I disliked about this film is how the makers hint that people with Asperger's should be left pretty much as they are. Some Aspies can do with therapy or guidance in life to make sure they cope with normal people. The therapist that Max has in this film is shown to be a bad therapist, but now there are many different methods for teaching Aspies and Autistic people how to become more normal, while still appreciating many of their Aspie traits.
Overall I recommend this to anyone who wants more of an idea of people with Asperger's, Aspies themselves, or pretty much anyone over the age of 12 who can deal with a rather depressing film. I hope you find "Mary and Max" worth watching! :-)