Mammuth

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.

Perhaps if you're a devoté of what used to be called art-house films this movie might not seem so different to you. Otherwise, it is likely to strike the average mover-goer accustomed to average movies as very strange indeed. Much if the dialogue is delivered in a very dead-pan style. Some of the cinematography, however, is really both very original and very beautiful. These are not introspective characters. They sometimes aggravate us because they don't think about their situation and are constantly astounded by what happens. This leaves them the victim of government bureaucracies that are simply too complicated for them to understand. You are unlikely to identify with these characters. Often you wonder whether to take them as mocking caricatures or sympathetic portraits. Still, the movie almost always held me, which is more than I can say for many more "normal" movies.

Lets just concentrate on one small matter The knowingness of the filmmakers is apparent with there choice of bike. At the time Serge would have been a biker this would have been an aspiration for a European working man that was possible of fulfilment. In his comatose state the world moved on and his icon becomes a forgotten relic as many of the Mammuths did. Out of touch he would be unaware that the bike has now become a cult and consequently recently accrued great value. I have also had my Sidcup moments and in a sort of way also been redeemed by art so I understand that sector of the film, although perhaps in this film is slightly unbalances the structure And then Yolande Moreau can make shaving an armpits so moving that I cried.

France has a rich history of well written and well crafted films, and this is but another example of such.

Showcasing an acclaimed director and a good cast of actors, it has much going for it; and it delivers with splendid writing, good acting and an impressive script.

It's truly one of the greats and should be watched by any fan of french film, or film in general!