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Sweden, Denmark, Germany · 2009
2h 5m
Director Lukas Moodysson
Starring Gael García Bernal, Michelle Williams, Marife Necesito, Sophie Nyweide
Genre Drama, Romance
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While on a trip to Thailand, successful American businessman Leo attempts to radically change his life. Back in New York, his wife, Ellen, works long hours at the hospital and struggles to accept the bond between her daughter and their live-in Filipino maid, Gloria. And in the Philippines, Gloria’s family must deal with her absence.
A mixed bag, Mammoth is a good-looking, smoothly directed, continent-hopping drama about parents and children, globalization and the disconnect between rich and poor, but comes with too much repetitive exposition and lacks an emotional payoff.
New York Magazine (Vulture) by David Edelstein
In the flawless cast, Williams is the most affecting.
Wall Street Journal by Joe Morgenstern
Mammoth manages to be as affecting as it is heartfelt.
New York Daily News by Joe Neumaier
The overlapping stories, the emotional disconnect, the heavy-handed symbolism -- no, it's not a movie from the makers of "Babel," its a mumbling, stammering copycat drama from Swedish director Lukas Moodysson.
Moodysson hasn’t exactly descended to "Babel"-level pabulum with Mammoth, his first foray into English; these characters are too fascinatingly thorny, and he still has a supple way with a pulse-throbbing dance tune.
The Hollywood Reporter by Kirk Honeycutt
If one thinks of "Babel" minus the melodrama and histrionics, you get a clearer picture of what Moodysson has done here.
This overlong drama is the first (mostly) English-language film from the talented Swedish filmmaker Moodysson (“Lilya 4-Ever”). Any semblance of subtlety was unfortunately lost in translation.
The New York Times by Manohla Dargis
Mr. Moodysson has never met a pleasure he didn’t want to punish.
Village Voice by Melissa Anderson
Grossly exaggerating his characters' either/or constructions, Moodysson forgoes any real ideas about the world's vast inequities, content to pummel his audience with portentous global guilt-tripping.
While Mammoth is frequently poignant and beautifully acted--especially by Williams, who’s so lost and lonely that she becomes casually cruel--the movie lacks the personal touch that’s distinguished even Moodysson’s “difficult” films.
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