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A man, a long stick, a rake, a sandy beach, and low tide. We are on the seashore near Christchurch on the south island of New Zealand. The man is Peter Donnelly. The stick is dragged on the sand to form curvy shapes. The rake imparts texture. Peter alternates raked and unraked areas. Shells are places at the central point in the drawing. Not particularly impressive until you consider the dimensions. Drawings are so extensive that to see the result in their full glory gawked line a pier that stands high above the beach. While tourists get a bird's eye view, Peter has no such advantage, working at ground level. (In that it reminds one of the large drawings found in the Peruvian altiplano.) Peter works quickly for he has only three hours to complete the artwork. His body moves elegantly guiding the stick, feeling the hardness of the sand with his feet, jumping over raked areas. No wonder this short is called Sand Dance.

Sadly the tide rises, the waves lap the edge of the art and it disappears little by little.

Clamation has become popular with the duo of Wallace and Gromit. Until "Mary and Max", Nick Park's creations were tops. Now this film has claimed the acme. It does it by a masterful combination of uncannily perfect story telling, imaginative self-deprecating characters, well-managed timing in plot development, a fair amount of humor balanced with endearing bittersweetness, and wonderful animation that serves the story's needs perfectly.

The story is one of contesseration by a young girl in Australia of a randomly chosen older man in the USA. It is based on real events, though the script writer almost certainly added embellishments and the kinds of twists and turns that make for a compelling story. Watching "Mary and Max" is like reading a book you cannot let go. The story is so unusual, so original, so endearing, so fascinating, that it grabs you right from the start and keeps you in its grip to the end. The events are so well timed, the surprises so well placed, that we never loose our curiosity for the characters, for the evolving plot, for the possible endings. It's constant fascination.

There is a good deal of humor. Some outright riots. Yet there are many bittersweet moments. It even succeeds in being a deeply felt tearjerker. It will make you laugh and cry at the same time. A rare and precious combination.

In short, "Mary and Max" is a masterpiece. Don't miss it!

A lightweight comedy whose humor depends largely on the inadequacies of a non-observant French Jewish doctor who emigrates with his converted wife to Israel. The first half is the one that draws the most laughs (mostly just chuckles), while the second half concentrates on developing the story of a husband and wife relationship that is breaking apart. There is a genuinely humorous gag near the beginning but otherwise the farcical elements of the story are only mildly funny.

Not surprisingly, a comedy such as this is built on a long string of contrivances that ends up taking a toll on one's patience. One hour into, I could not help but feel a bit exasperated with the story. It's the kind of film that is made for TV audiences.