Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia, what a movie! This winner takes it all--an absolutely hilarious, rousing and joyous celebration that ought to have you dancing in the aisles.
Story
Against all odds, a lightweight Broadway musical made up of ABBA songs and an innocuous storyline has become a worldwide phenomenon still running and selling out wherever it plays. Now it has been given the big-screen treatment, filmed on location in the Greek Isles. The story basically remains the same (and oddly similar to the 1969 Gina Lollobrigida comedy Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell) about a young girl, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), on the eve of her wedding. She has decided to find out who her real father and so she invites all three of her mother Donna's (Meryl Streep) ex-loves to the wedding. With the arrival of Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) and Harry (Colin Firth), all hell breaks loose as Donna must not only deal with the impending nuptials but also the re-emergence into her life of three very different--and now older former flames. Helping her through the ordeal are her two best friends, Rosie (Julie Walters) and the seductive Tanya (Christine Baranski). All this, of course, is just an excuse to break out into song every five minute, with all of the major ABBA hits used to move the story along--or just stop it dead in its tracks. Either way, it's a toe-tapping experience apart from every other film we've seen this summer.
Acting
With a cast not exactly known for their musical skills, this version of Mamma Mia is indeed a roll of the dice which has paid great dividends, for the most part. With few exceptions (we'll get to Pierce's warbling in a moment), the entire cast shines and delivers--beginning with Streep, who is simply a force of nature. She's sensational and can she ever sing! Her big 11-o'clock-number, "The Winner Takes It All," which she belts out against the stunning scenery of Scopelos (where much of the movie was filmed) will remind you of Barbra Streisand's triumphant anthem, "Don't Rain On My Parade" from Funny Girl. Streep is the real deal--Hollywood's real hidden singing and dancing queen. You just have to wonder why she hasn't gotten more musical opportunities in film. Baranski and Walters are delightful sidekicks and each belt out their own numbers in style. Seyfried (HBO's Big Love) is a great discovery, a charmer who keeps the film grounded and unveils a natural singing voice. As for the guys, both Skarsgard and Firth get through their limited vocals with seeming ease and have a great camaraderie, as does Brosnan--acting-wise at least. His musical numbers, while on key, exhibit a voice that probably isn't going to top the charts anytime soon but you have to give him credit for swinging, er, singing for the fences. Despite his iffy pipes, he and Streep display such great chemistry, it would be nice to see them re-team somewhere down the line.
Direction
It's not often Hollywood offers a Broadway show's creative team the chance to repeat their stage success, but give credit to Universal for bringing in the original director Phyllida Lloyd, writer Catherine Johnson and producer Judy Craymer. Consider the fact that they are all over 50--just like three of their key female stars--and you have a situation in which youth-obsessed Hollywood has reversed course--all for the good. Although Mamma Mia is not shot with the kind of razzamatazz style a Rob Marshall (Chicago) might have brought, Lloyd's feature film debut hits the mark with zeal, enthusiasm and the gift of fun. It's a good-time movie with a refreshing lack of pretense and makes it one of the most purely entertaining musical events ever to hit a motion picture screen. Lloyd has re-captured on film the unabashed joy of the theatrical experience and staged it in one of the most beautiful places on earth. If it's a little disconcerting to see all these older stars belting out a Swedish pop group's greatest hits, it's also probably just what audiences living in these troubled times need. Our guess is you'll want to line up and see it again the minute it ends.
Bottom Line
Hollywood.com rated this film 4 stars.