“ Mamma Mia” danced its way across theaters in a film version of the well-known musical based on ABBA songs. Meryl Streep delivers a deep and surprising performance as Donna Sheridan.
Do you like wine with your cheese?
You might need some after seeing “Mamma Mia!”
This ABBA based movie musical is a song and sight filled gooey concoction.
The all-star cast delivers some interesting performances.
Meryl Streep gives the movie a lot of depth in her turn as Donna Sheridan.
Her voice astounds the audience, but in true Streep-style, she is a weeping, woeful but still empowered female lead.
My favorite 007 since Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, is an awful singer. Brosnan smolders on screen when his mouth is shut.
He plays Sam Carmichael, one of the three potential fathers for Donna’s daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried).
The other two are Colin Firth as Harry Bright and Stellan Skarsgård as Bill Anderson.
The mystery of Sophie’s father leads to the ridiculous situations in the film.
Sophie finds her mother’s diary where she confesses that she had “…” with three men in one summer and did not know who the father of her child was. Unbeknownst to Donna, Sophie invites all three of them to her wedding and they show up.
Cue “Honey Honey” as she dreams of knowing her father.
Donna discovers all three of them in her goat house and writhes on her back as she sings “Mamma Mia!”
Who knew the girl from Mean Girls could sing?
Her sweet vocals on “I Have a Dream” open and close the film amid the deep blue background of stars glimmering on the Mediterranean Sea. She also plays the perfect sex kitten frolicking in a steamy scene with Sky (Dominic Cooper) as they sing “Lay All Your Love on Me.”
The rest of the movie involves the characters each revealing their secrets, an interrupted wedding and a twisted but loving ending.
The songs are woven expertly into the tapestry of the story line.
For example, Donna and her friends who used to be in a singing group (Julie Walters as Rosie and Christine Baranski as Tanya) interact through songs such as “Dancing Queen” and “Money, Money, Money.”
I was really annoyed by all of the shrill screams from women reuniting and the number of ridiculous sequins worn to a beach wedding.
Donna and her aged girlfriends look like drag queens in their over the top performance at Sophie’s bachelorette party.
I was also surprised that the song that rose ABBA to international fame at the 1974 Eurovision contest, “Waterloo” was used only in the closing credits.
Overall the movie was fun and left me smiling.
Although we never got out of our seats to dance, even guys in the audience sang along.
I highly recommend not buying the movie or Broadway sound track. Instead, spend your money on the original ABBA songs. They are all on iTunes. Turn it up and have a disco in your living room.
Opa!
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