Moviegoers will meet an affluent New York-based couple at
the heart of Mammoth, a continent-hopping drama that takes us from the United
States to the Philippines to Thailand and then back.
Leo (Gael Garcia Bernal) is a game designer who just landed a multi-million
dollar deal. His wife Ellen (Michelle Williams) is a dedicated ER surgeon who
works on long shifts. Because of their demanding careers, their daughter Jackie
(Sophie Nyweide) is left to the care of her Filipina nanny Gloria (Marife
Necesito). When Leo sets off to Thailand on a business trip, Ellen notices
that her busy schedule is keeping her away from Jackie. She tries to spend more
time with her but ends up struggling to compete with Gloria for her daughter's
attention.
Gloria, on the other hand, left her two boys in a Philippine province to work abroad. Through phone conversations with her eldest son, Gloria's story unfurls. She is a single mother who plans to build a house for her children. Although she is not used to being away from her kids, she has to be strong in order to provide for them. Her sons miss her terribly and demand that she come home soon. Gloria's stoic demeanor slowly shatters and gives way to tears as she hears her son's demands. As Leo, Ellen, and Gloria pursue what they think is best for their children, they soon realize that what they are pursuing can't really fulfill their lives after all.
There's a hefty amount of Filipino talent in Mammoth. We have Jan Nicdao as Salvador and Martin Delos Santos as Manuel, Gloria's sons, as well as Maria del Carmen as the kids' grandmother. But the film belongs to Marife Necesito who plays the caring nanny and enduring mother convincingly. Mammoth is Marife's biggest break. But she has already appeared in several films including Lav Diaz's Ebolusyon ng Isang Pamilyang Pilipino and Heremias Book Two: The Legend of Tagabulag Island.From the looks of it, Marife will undoubtedly land more roles in the future because she knows how to lose herself in the character. Marife's portrayal of Gloria is so genuine—from diction to maternal instincts, she has captured these perfectly.
The film shows much about Pinoy culture: there are scenes shot in a local dumpsite, Marife's ward is very interested in studying Tagalog, Pinoys are shown hearing mass in Tagalog and Marife sings a Tagalog lullaby ("Ugoy ng Duyan") to her American ward. In one scene, Marife's character is shown buying a basketball in New York as a gift for her son. When she reads the label, it clearly says: Made in the Philippines.
Swedish-born Lukas Moodyson (director of the arthouse film Show Me Love) is responsible for direction and screenplay. Lukas may be Scandinavian, but he has realistically captured the struggles and aspirations of Filipinos as if he were a Filipino himself. His exploration of virtues and sensibilities in a developing country is sweeping and insightful.
Manila and New York City may be on opposite ends of the world but when it comes to family matters, parental love is universal, regardless of nationality and social class.
Mammoth is a humanist study about the dynamics of working parents who may be providing the needs of their children but are largely absent in their lives. It's a subject matter that a lot of Filipinos can relate to, especially with the growing number of OFWs today. Parents often forget about their real priorities while chasing their dreams of a good life. I'm not saying that they are bad parents. Their intentions are good, but there are negative repercussions that must be addressed.
In the end, the film teaches us an important lesson: appreciate what you have now before it's gone, before it becomes extinct.
Mammoth was nominated for the Golden Berlin Bear award in the 59th Berlin Film Festival.