Yeah, I like ABBA. Sue me. I haven't had a chance to see the stage version of Mamma Mia! and was eager to watch the movie.
Simply put, it tells of Sophie's attempt to discover the identity of her father in the days before her wedding. The trouble is Donna, her Mom, (played by Meryl Streep) was very . . . adventurous one week twenty years ago, and there are three potential Daddy's. Each gets an invitation to attend the wedding and adventure ensues, while the music of ABBA develops the characters and moves the plot forward.
It's good to see the continuing (if small) revival of movie musicals (High School Musical, Enchanted, etc.) and I was pleasantly surprised, watching the subtitled version of the film, at how many of the lyrics are polished and literate.
I'm not sure if it's a flaw carried over from the stage version or not, but both Lisa and I felt the movie felt disjointed at times. There were some ludicrously naive plot points: the daughter who's sure she'll recognize her father on sight and that when she does "everything [in her life] will fall into place"; the fact that Donna seems unable to put two and two together, turning this into an elaborate episode of Three's Company; and Sophie's out of left field actions during the wedding.
Small complaints, all in all. My biggest problem with the film was that some people (cough Pierce Brosnan cough Meryl Streep cough) were hired for their name and not their voice. Pity that. Kudos to Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) for her great voice and natural beauty, both of which help elevate the film above the norm.
2.8 out of 4
I too saw the movie and loved it...
ReplyDeleteI have the same complaint.. some of the voices were just NOT good enough. But I love musicals, so enjoyed the movie overall.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen the movie, and don't really care to, but have seen the stage version. It was okay, but just wasn't my cup of tea, I guess. And it's not that I hate musicals, because I loved "Spamalot."
ReplyDeleteThis wasn't a movie high on my list of DVDs to obtain, and it hadn't played on Starz yet, so I was sort of eh about it. I like ABBA, but the hubs doesn't care for them. I wasn't going to buy the movie just for me... then a friend loaned me a copy. I LOVED it! I plan to pick up the DVD when it hits the sales racks!
ReplyDeleteI have this DVD in my home at this very moment. :)
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to watch it...it's just hard to find time because the dear hubby isn't a fan of musicals at all.
Me? I can't get enough of Grease, Phantom of the Opera, and Rent.
XOXO