Mammoth
Lukas Moodysson's approach to filmmaking was becoming increasingly experimental, so it is a surprise to see how conventional Mammoth is. His follow-up to the monochrome, plotless, Jena Malone-narrated avant-garde film Container is an internationally set narrative about relationships, particularly those between parents and children. Three stories are woven together: Leo (Gael Garcia Bernal) exploring the possibilities of a new life for himself while on a business trip in Thailand; his wife Ellen (Michelle Williams) trying to juggle work and spending time with their daughter; and their nanny (Marife Necesito), working in America to provide a better life for her sons in the Philippines. Moodysson is well-versed in bleakness, but Mammoth lacks the emotion shown in his acclaimed Lilya 4-Ever, while the writer/director's flair for social exploration here seems incomplete. Yet the lead performances are subtle and believable, and the European electronica soundtrack is distinctive. It's just a shame there isn't more of Moodysson's creativity on show. [Becky Bartlett]