Mamma Mia!

Roger Ebert started his review out by saying, “I saw the stage version of “Mamma Mia!” in London, where for all I know, it is now entering the second century of its run, and I was underwhelmed.” The 2008 film version has the enjoyment of casting Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Colin Frith, and Julie Walters, but their skills are taken very think. Also, if you like this, there are so many song covers of ABBA. Ebert admitted, “I don’t, not much, with a few exceptions.”

Ebert admitted, “But here’s the fact of the matter. This movie wasn’t made for me. It was made for the people who will love it, of which there may be a multitude. The stage musical has sold 30 million tickets, and I feel like the grouch at the party. So let me make that clear and proceed with my minority opinion.”

The film takes place on a Greek island, where the characters are made to hang on roofs, dangle from ladders, enter and exit by trapdoors, and prance around the numerous local people. Ebert noted, “The choreography at times resembles calisthenics, particularly in a scene where the young male population, all wearing scuba flippers, dance on the pier to “Dancing Queen” (one of the ABBA songs I do like).”

I don’t think contrived would be the right word to describe the story. Meryl Streep plays Donna, who runs a tourist hotel on the island, where she has raised her daughter, played by Amanda Seyfried, up to the age of 20. Sophie has never known her biological father and is engaged to Sky, played by Dominic Cooper. However, now she finds an old diary and invites the three possible men to her upcoming wedding. She’s sure that she’ll know the right one when she sees him. They are Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Bill (Stellan Skarsgard), and Harry (Colin Firth), and if you know the first thing about camera angles, shot choice, and screen time, you will be able to pick the right person – if not for conceiving reason, then for the one most likely to succeed in one way or another.

Obviously, Donna doesn’t know anything about her daughter’s invitations, but even so, it must be said she takes a long time to figure out why these three men were invited. Doesn’t she think it would be obvious? She has serious conversations with all three, two appear to have been one-night stands. For them to sail over to Greece for her after 20 years really makes you think how charmful she is.

Ebert admitted, “The plot is a clothesline on which to hang the songs; the movie doesn’t much sparkle when nobody is singing or dancing, but that’s rarely. The stars all seem to be singing their own songs, aided by an off-screen chorus of, oh, several dozen, plus full orchestration.” Streep doesn’t look like the right choice to play Donna, but I have noticed that she can take on any role. She can even pull off singing Money, Money, Money.” She has such a happy face and looks to be enjoying herself.

Ebert noted, “Her two best friends have flown in for the occasion: Tanya (Christine Baranski), an often-married plastic surgery subject, and Rosie (Julie Walters), plainer and pluckier. With three hunks their age like Brosnan, Firth and Skarsgard on hand, do they divvy up?” Not really. However, a lot of big romantic decisions do take place in a few short days.

The island is beautiful. I wouldn’t be surprised if people went to Greece after seeing this film. Ebert noted, “The energy is unflagging. The local color feels a little overlooked in the background; nobody seems to speak much Greek.” Then there are the ABBA songs. There are people who know them and may think they know them too well or maybe they can’t get enough of them. Ebert admitted, “Streep’s sunshine carries a lot of charm, although I will never be able to understand her final decision in the movie — not coming from such a sensible woman.” Love seems to have its way, which we always see.

I used to work at a Children’s Museum a couple of years ago where I heard a few ABBA songs on their playlist playing on repeat. Because of that, I decided to look up where the film was streaming. I remember seeing commercials for this film of people singing the title song before cutting to clips of the cast singing this song in the film. When I saw this on Amazon Prime, I ended up not liking this so much. I didn’t really like how the characters acted, but I will say that I did like the look of the film and it did make me go to the library to get the ABBA soundtrack downloaded to my iPhone. I don’t recommend this film because it will make you want to go to Greece and apologize to the people there for having this film shot on their island and to all the ABBA fans, even if any of the band members are alive today that they covered their songs.

Next week, I will be ending “Pierce Brosnan Month” with the sequel to this film, which came as a surprise.