Our sunday movie recommendation goes to Mammoth starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Michelle Williams. More infos, trailer after the jump.
From Swedish director Lukas Moodysson, this movie tells the tale of an American couple, Leo and Ellen, who live in New York with their eight-year-old daughter Jackie, and Gloria, their Filipino nanny. (As is done in New York society circles.)
As most of mommy’s and daddy’s time is spent harvesting the fruits of capitalism (he’s a successful website creator/owner) and saving the world (she’s a dedicated emergency surgeon), Jackie spends most of her time with Gloria, the nanny who’s earning the prized ‘Benjamin Franklin’s’ to support her family back home in the Philippines. As things would have it, Jackie and Gloria’s relationship finally (or rather, ironically) hits a button with Ellen after some point.
Now take this compelling family-matrix, throw in Gloria’s son half-way across the world in the Philippines, who yearns for his mothers return and thus resorts to his own measures for bringing her back, combined with a fateful trip Leo makes to Thailand and you’ve got the right ingredients for the unraveling of Mammoth. Filmed in English, Tagalog and Thai, this is definitely a Berlinale favourite big enough not to miss.
