Mammuth

That Gérard Depardieu was once a true sex symbol is hard to comprehend when looking at him in "Mammuth". Here he is fat, old and antisocial. And yet, for these very reasons, he is once again quite magnificent - something that can only be said of the film itself with reservations.

Depardieu plays the former butcher Mammuth here, who can't cope at all with his new role as a pensioner and thus also gets on the nerves of his wife (Yolande Moreau). When he learns that he is missing important documents to be able to collect his full pension, he sets off on his old motorcycle, a Münch-Mammut, on a journey to his old employers - and into his own past, which is overshadowed by a dark secret.

In the first few minutes in particular, "Mammuth" contains an incredible number of moments of completely absurd comedy. For example, Mammuth's farewell in the slaughterhouse, his first purchase in a large shopping mall or his wife Catherine's vendetta against a mean thief who stole her beloved Mammuth's cell phone, which comes to a very quick end in a very wonderful way. Depardieu is great as a pensioner who just can't seem to find his way in modern society. And the supporting cast, most notably Yolande Moreau, are also more than convincing.

And yet the film leaves its viewers with a somewhat bland aftertaste. For instance, the scenes in which Mammuth is reminded of a traumatic event from his past and is haunted by the vision of his former lover Yasmine, embodied by Isabelle Adjani, are staged in a somewhat strained "artistically precious" manner, which becomes a bit tiring as time goes on. Moreover, there is a scene between Mammuth and a distant relative that is already funny in a certain, very bizarre way, but at the same time, being filled with a boundless wretchedness and sadness, is also repulsive in an arguably disturbing way, so that some viewers (the writer of these lines included) might emotionally say goodbye to the proceedings and its protagonists from this moment on, thus making not only the ending, but actually the entire film noticeably less meaningful.

urely, "Mammuth" is, in its very simple way, a watchable and bitingly funny film with a great lead actor. But its occasionally strained staging and a moment beyond good taste might dull the viewing pleasure for some viewers. Therefore: for lovers of French arthouse cinema with restrictions worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp