Mammoth

Mammoth

Director:

Lukas Moodysson

Writer:

Lukas Moodysson

Starring:

Michelle Williams
Gael García Bernal
Marife Necesito
Sophie Nyweide

Rating: 

9 of 10 stars

Looms LARGE as to Quality work!

Scheduled to play 10-14-09 @ 6 PM, & 10-17-09 @ 8:45 PM.

This movie is a production from Sweden & Denmark, filmed in ENGLISH starring American MICHELLE WILLIAMS (as a surgeon named Ellen in New York) & Mexico’s GAEL GARCIA BERNAL (as her husband Leo, a video game type producer who goes to Thailand to get money for a big deal) & Filipino MARIFE NECESITO as their nanny Gloria who cares for their young daughter Jackie (SOPHIE NYWEIDE).  As my associate Marilyn commented, it’s a sign of how “global” film-making has become!

The CIFF brochure describes the film as “Babel-esque”, & that’s actually an ACCURATE statement:  there’s a really fine “interweaving” of stories involving many people & across wide-ranging areas. The “mammoth” refers to ivory from tusks of that prehistoric creature that’s used as an inlay in an expensive pen Gael is given. That element is interwoven into a story that also involves modern-day ELEPHANTS in Thailand, & the film also cleverly intertwines things like mangos (involving the nanny’s son Salvador back in the Philippines & also a “SEX-trade” person Gael meets in Thailand) & other such situations.

I have one big complaint about the film: the way they foolishly turn up song volumes to like TRIPLE normal, to the point that it over & over again really blasts & assaults the ears for no clear purpose. But overall, I was very favorably IMPRESSED with the movie--  the warmth & basic un-assuming decency of Gael towards his family & others, the problems that he & Michelle & others have to deal with in their work & personal lives, & the overall effective “mood” of this film directed by Lukas Moodysson.  This is one of the few really choice ones I’ve seen that ISN’T yet Sold Out at the Festival!  Get your tickets quickly!

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