Mammoth (Lukas Moodysson, 2008)
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domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 6:42 pm
Re: Mammoth (Lukas Moodysson, 2008)
Swedish DVD and Blu-ray (no English subs) out July 22
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Antoine Doinel
- Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2006 5:22 pm
- Location: Montreal, Quebec
- Contact:
Re: Mammoth (Lukas Moodysson, 2008)
This is opening in limited release on November 20th via IFC.
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puxzkkx
- Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2009 4:33 am
Re: Mammoth (Lukas Moodysson, 2008)
Interested to see what he does with this. A talented guy but I think a bit pompous, possibly... his films are very assured (and often breathtaking) but often have huge flaws (the Klas/Lasse relationship in Together, the ending/dream sequences in Lilya 4-Ever) and his experimental works are tiresome and impenetrable. But he's a great actors' director, so it'll be interesting to see the performances in this, at any rate.
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Jeff
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:49 am
- Location: Denver, CO
Re: Mammoth (Lukas Moodysson, 2008)
This has a whole new meaning now.Antoine Doinel wrote:via IFC.
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domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 6:42 pm
Re: Mammoth (Lukas Moodysson, 2008)
Mammoth is a great film when examined via auteurism, and probably just a good one otherwise. Kind of like how no one would ever closely examine Man's Favorite Sport? if Hawks hadn't helmed it. The film shows a newfound appreciation for visual aesthetics by Moodysson, and there are some startlingly beautiful shots. The film also alternates between the handheld cameras that distinguished his earlier work and gorgeous static framings.
The film is noticeably very conservative, more so than any of his other films. The problem for all characters in this picture is that they aren't with their families. Once they decide to choose their families over their individual lives or even what's ultimately best for their families in absentia, all their problems melt away. It's all a little absurd, especially when one character's infidelity is immediately forgiven and forgotten by the mere act of returning home. I didn't even need to check to see that Moodysson is a father-- this is a very paternal sort of film.
Of the film's three storylines, the story of the maid's children is the weakest-- a surprise for Moodysson, previously so adept at capturing childhood on-screen. Their worries and solutions have a predictable strain and the tragic act that punctuates their tale feels tired and obvious.
Moodysson's trademark sense of humor about his characters is thankfully present. Williams is so clueless about the basic dynamics of a mother-daughter relationship that she has a terrifically funny line where she goes to the boutique toy store to buy a telescope for her daughter and absurdly tells the clerk that she doesn't want to buy something that feels like she's "talking down to" her daughter. Bernal too has a ridiculous moment after giving a prostitute some money to not have sex with him where he excitedly plans to start more charity work, like "giving out computers" to poor kids. Money is never a substitute for affection in Moodysson's world.
But one of the joys of a Moodysson film is the small touches, and the film excels in these. They range from universal observations, such as Williams' aimlessly nervous phone call delivered while walking around on her bed or the conversation she has with Bernal where they joke about contracting AIDS in that unfunny way couples tend to kid each other, to the specific, as when Williams attempts to cut up fruit, only to find she's incapable of making anything but surgical incisions.
The big names in the film are ultimately overshadowed by Run Srinikornchot's Cookie, who shows up 2/3 of the way through the film and livens the proceedings with something that feels closest to the spontaneity of Moodysson's earlier work. She's beautiful, funny, and has a final scene that hits harder than all the other big moments in the film. As stated by someone else in this thread earlier, Moodysson knows how to make a viewer care about his characters, even in a transitional work such as this, and the final moments of the film are shamelessly effective. Moodysson's still a little rusty, but the film's many flaws are easy to gloss over. Mammoth is a welcome return effort from someone I'd feared to be long since lost.
One last thing: Was the film underwritten by Rykodisc? There could be a drinking game with the number of Ladytron music cues.
The film is noticeably very conservative, more so than any of his other films. The problem for all characters in this picture is that they aren't with their families. Once they decide to choose their families over their individual lives or even what's ultimately best for their families in absentia, all their problems melt away. It's all a little absurd, especially when one character's infidelity is immediately forgiven and forgotten by the mere act of returning home. I didn't even need to check to see that Moodysson is a father-- this is a very paternal sort of film.
Of the film's three storylines, the story of the maid's children is the weakest-- a surprise for Moodysson, previously so adept at capturing childhood on-screen. Their worries and solutions have a predictable strain and the tragic act that punctuates their tale feels tired and obvious.
Spoiler
I did enjoy how the maid completely abandons her charge in the film's finale, showing that for her it was never more than a job-- a moment of truth in an otherwise on-the-nose portion of the film
But one of the joys of a Moodysson film is the small touches, and the film excels in these. They range from universal observations, such as Williams' aimlessly nervous phone call delivered while walking around on her bed or the conversation she has with Bernal where they joke about contracting AIDS in that unfunny way couples tend to kid each other, to the specific, as when Williams attempts to cut up fruit, only to find she's incapable of making anything but surgical incisions.
The big names in the film are ultimately overshadowed by Run Srinikornchot's Cookie, who shows up 2/3 of the way through the film and livens the proceedings with something that feels closest to the spontaneity of Moodysson's earlier work. She's beautiful, funny, and has a final scene that hits harder than all the other big moments in the film. As stated by someone else in this thread earlier, Moodysson knows how to make a viewer care about his characters, even in a transitional work such as this, and the final moments of the film are shamelessly effective. Moodysson's still a little rusty, but the film's many flaws are easy to gloss over. Mammoth is a welcome return effort from someone I'd feared to be long since lost.
One last thing: Was the film underwritten by Rykodisc? There could be a drinking game with the number of Ladytron music cues.