Mamute

This movie is a road movie in the France of small people, done by an atypical guy on an atypical bike (would you figure that the antique Munch Mammuth that Gérard Depardieu is shown riding is priced around $100.000?)

As Depardieu is making his trip to the places where he used to live and work, so that he can get the paperwork he needs to retire, we meet a number of comic situations, that often reveal the absurdity of our modern world (see the scene where Yolande Moreau fights against an automated voice phone service). Miss Ming character also gives us some nice touches of craziness.

Besides the comic situations, there is a more serious tone. The movie shows us the rigidity of the retirement system, from which a number of people are excluded, as they are anyway excluded from the whole economical system. A few moments in the movie also make us feel how getting old can be a wrecking for these people.

So there is both fun and sensibility there, and Gérard Depardieu is good at conveying both. This is his best role for a great while and it proves that he stills has something to give.

MAMMUTH (dir. Gustave de Kervern and Benoit Delepine) Gerard Depardieu stars in this art house film about a man who has recently retired from a job at a slaughterhouse, but needs verification of his previous work history to receive a full pension. He takes his 1973 Munch Mammut 1200 motorcycle on a journey across France to visit his old job sites in hopes of obtaining the necessary paperwork, and along the way meets an interesting assortment of oddball characters. When he meets his niece he is introduced to the world of 'naive art', and her tiny cottage is an homage to this curious and strikingly odd brand of folk art. This is a strangely fascinating and unconventional film that was clearly made for aesthetic reasons rather than box office appeal. Nominated for the Golden Bear at the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival.

there are ways and ways to tell a story. Here the two talented directors tried to prove to everyone that everyone's worth watching. like many movies, this one, depending mainly on your mood at the precise time you "encounter" it, will either disgust you or mesmerize you. I sort of loved it, from the beginning till the very end. Pathetics scenes are meant to be pathetic, showing us all of our lives are meaningless and ridiculous from time to time. Though I'm not much into Adjani, Yolande Moreau's acting, for instance is astounding, and unique, almost moving in its "uselessness". The thing is you have to throw away all your prejudices against "people of no importance" before watching this, because if you don't, you will be indeed disappointed and/or upset about losing your time and your money. gave it 8/10, because of its originality, nasty yet tender humor and Yolande Moreau's lines.

If another user is right and the bike Depardieu is riding in this movie (a Mammuth) is worth a lot of money, you should start wondering what he is on about. But then again, I don't think it matters that much, because it is about a system and its flaws. And while it mixes funny situations with very serious matters, it does not get the combination of them both does not always work in favor of the movie.

Still Depardieu tries hard and there are quite a few good scenes, with very good points. Like when Depardieus character tries to "communicate" with a service over a phone. The pacing seemed to be a problem too (all over the place). But then again, there are a lot of people who liked it as it is. It kind of reminded me of the movie "Broken Flowers". Though I think this one is (a little bit) better

Strange and beautiful road movie, and for me that was best role of GD ever. It reminds me about Amelie with it's French beautiful romantic and absurd humor, while grainy filming, "real life" attitude, and Depardieu with long hair remind me of The Wrestler with Mickey Rourke.

If you can imagine how two of them would feel combined, I think you would get this movie as a result.

There was absolutely no weak acting here.

Recommended for people who liked movies like "Pierrot le fou", "Bernie", or anyone who wants to discover french humor - a bit dark, sad, cynical, but still romantic at the same time.