Mary and Max BD

[j_garcia]

Got this one from Netflix and watched it last night. I was reading some reviews on Blu-ray.com and came across this one and it was pretty highly reviewed and looked interesting. I only read the recommendation, not the review, since I had not heard of this film and that was a plus. Sometimes it is better not to know about a film first (at least when it ends up being good...). This is a claymation film but it definitely isn't for kids; it is quite grown up in nature even though one of the main characters is 8yrs old initially. It sort of has that Wallace and Grommit look, though it is Australian in origin, and it is definitely not in the same vein as W&G. I am not a fan of W&G. This one is very well done, mainly character driven, but more or less a dark comedy and I enjoyed it very much. I found it a nice change from much of what is out there lately. I didn't realize it until the credits but the other main character is voiced by Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

The PQ is great, but the color palette is pretty slim, with it being almost black and white, only adding some browns here and there and occasionally a bright red to stand out. AQ is good, and though it is mostly dialogue, there were a few scenes of hefty bass in there that were quite fun on the dtsHD track. Probably not a buy, but good for a rent. It is available for streaming as well. Recommended!!

http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Mary_and_Max/70111503?trkid=226870

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

+1 - Highly unusual and unexpected, but a very good one

 

[jostenmeat]

I was scanning this subforum for my next Netflix rental. (It's funny, I seriously pick one at a time, and the queue is always empty.) I guess this will make it three international titles in a row for me (last two being The Counterfeiters, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), even if this one is in English.

IMO, the best W&G, and always has been since it was made, is The Wrong Trousers. The chase scene is fantastic, and I find the humor to be charming.

I'm looking forward to this one. I remember seeing clips a long time ago, thinking of how interesting it seemed, but I forgot about it until now. Thanks for the rec!

 

[j_garcia]

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is in my queue - VERY LONG wait. How was it?

 

[jostenmeat]

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is in my queue - VERY LONG wait. How was it?

It was fine, not quite up to my own* perceived hype. Basically, a 40 year old murder mystery that turns out to be of much greater proportion with more digging around. There are a few scenes of intense sexual violence, and during the R rated warning with all of its descriptors, note what the first word is.

IMO, the originality of this movie lies with the female of the two main characters. It's her personality, skills, and history that shaped her that make for an atypical heroine. Other than that, it's different because it's Swedish.

I enjoy watching movies, but you'll rarely see me gush over anything, just bear that in mind. This is probably because my reactions to films are usually the opposite of what the masses think; has to due with expectations.

Good for rental, and I'm satisfied that I did not purchase it.

*Side note . . .
When I first saw her character, I immediately thought of my day driving through Finland, many years ago. I spend the day walking around Helsinki, and they take fashion to extremes I've never seen before. If you are the type to wear a sports jersey here, then over there you also have the sneaks, headband, and wristbands too. If you look like you are a bit of a punk here, then over there you probably are loaded with facial piercings, etc. I didn't notice that nearly to the same extent when passing through Stockholm, but I wonder how extremely rare it would be to run into someone who looked like her, doing a job like hers. Probably extremely rare, but just wanted to share that.