Mary and Max

At first the film seemed like a story about a childhood of an innocent girl in a troubled family with the use of silly and funny answers to her curious questions and her growth to a successful and happy life. However, I think that once we get introduced to the character Max, the story takes on a different turn. In terms of the narrative I think this film has done a very successful job of expressing major dark and melancholy themes that nobody really likes to bring up but are also themes we come across in real life in a very subtle way without focusing on them as the main part of the story where really we are focused on the relationship between Mary and Max. A lot of people also feel that if it's an animated movie surely, it will be something for children rather than targeted at adults. Things like "It could only be done as animation but it transcends that, too, to become a film of great seriousness, unlike most films in that form. It's not for kiddies, either, unless you want to explain what prostitution, condoms and alcoholism are." help to show that the use of this format and visual display choice really plays with audiences perception and false sense of security but also helps to show that animated films are not just for children which I think is something very important.

The use of colour in this film is also very effective and important but it is also very subtle too; something most people won't really notice or consider but plays a major part in the way we view characters and what they are feeling and experiencing. For example, when the scene is set at Mary's home we see some touches of colour but the tones are very dark (grey and brown). The only bright colour in that setting is Mary's hairclip where she loses it when she falls into depression to brings us in with the emotions Mary is experiencing. Likewise we also see this in the red pompom that Mary gives to Max which creates a large contrast between the black and white colours of Max's setting and environment which really helps in understanding Max's feelings and how his life changes for the better when he builds this relationship with Mary. I think this is a device very largely used across a lot of films especially using a spark of red in a black and white setting that helps us identify it or relate it to a specific moment or emotion in the film/character.