Lead cast: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Christine Baranski, Ashley Lilley, Rachel McDowall, Philip Michael; Director: Phyllida Lloyd; Screenwriters: Catherine Johnson/based on the original musical book by Ms. Johnson/originally conceived by Judy Craymer based on the songs of Abba; Cinematographer: Haris Zambarloukos; Editor: Lesley Walker; Music: Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus/some songs with Stig Anderson; Genre: Musical, romantic comedy; Location: Greece, USA, England; Runtime: 108; Producers: Judy Craymer/Gary Goetzman; Distributor: Universal Pictures.
Technical assessment: 3
Moral assessment: 3
CINEMA rating: V 14
Twenty-year old Sophie (Amanda Seyfield) is getting married soon. Dreaming of a white wedding, however, she insists on being given away by her father. The problem is, she doesn’t know who her absentee-father is. Her single-mother Donna (Meryl Streep) raised her singlehandedly, running “Villa Donna”, a modest inn on a Greek island. Days before the wedding she discovers—and shares with her bosom buddies—Donna’s diary which speaks of three amorous encounters around the time she was conceived. She is determined to realize her dream of walking down the aisle with her father, and so, unknown to Donna, she invites the three men: Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Harry (Colin Firth) and Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) to the wedding. If her own mother Donna can’t tell which of the three men has sired her daughter, how will Sophie be able to determine who her real father is? Who will finally give Sophie away?
The plot is thinner than crepe dough but Mamma Mia is undoubtedly enjoyable, thanks mostly to the great acting, and the lilting, foot tapping ABBA songs that have a way of burrowing into your memory. Because this is adapted from the Broadway musical of the same title, expect the characters to burst into song at the oddest moments, and forgive the production if the song is not the accurate expression called for by the situation. If the frothy story is good enough for Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan and is set on a Greek island, why complain? Just sit back and gorge on the eye candy that it is. If you want heavier stuff, see The Dark Knight, but if your bones are aching and your head is almost bursting from stress, then drop the aspirin and go see Mamma Mia. Seyfried is a real pro at singing, and delivers a star-making performance, a far cry from her roles in Mean Girls, Veronica Mars, and Big Love. Streep is obviously enjoying the sing-and-dance routine, at which she isn’t so bad, especially since the numbers rely more on fab costumes than on fancy choreography. Cinematography is a bit rocky: long shots with a little more action would have been better than close-ups, as in that part where Streep and Brosnan belt out “The Winner Takes it All”—it simply draaaags.
Not only is Mamma Mia’s plot thinner than crepe dough, the whole movie is in fact is like Cherry Crepes—looking yummy, brightly colored, sweeter than candy but hardly nourishing. Its one message is “go with the flow”: nothing is worth fretting about—it’s okay to change your mind, call off or stage a wedding at whim, stop asking who your father is. Very Greek-island living--just be accepting of the way things are, and everything will turn out all right after dancing to a couple of songs—with a literal Greek chorus in the background. As long as you know this type of feel-good movie can be addictive, you can go ahead and enjoy it for the therapeutic escape it can offer. At least, it’s way cheaper than a visit to the doctor.
