Sunday, July 20, 2008
A+E, Movies, Reviews
ABBA musical doesn’t hit the right notes
A shorttake review of Mamma Mia
Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Christine Baranski, Meryl Streep and Julie Walters in “Mamma Mia!”
“MAMMA MIA!”
Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd
Rated PG-13
Wide release
Written around 20-plus ABBA songs, “Mamma Mia!” became an international stage sensation despite less-than-enthusiastic reviews. The film could stir up the same “Mamma”-mania, but that doesn’t mean it’s good. It sticks pretty close to the stage show, adding a starry cast and pretty locations, while retaining writer Catherine Johnson and director Phyllida Lloyd, both lacking big-screen experience.
The plot recalls the tagline of the 1985 miniseries “Lace 2”: “Which one of you bastards is my father?” Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) was raised by her mother, Donna (Meryl Streep), on a Greek island. Now 20, Sophie’s about to marry Sky (Dominic Cooper), but she doesn’t know who her father is. Donna’s old diary pinpoints three suspects: Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Harry (Colin Firth) and Bill (Stellan Skarsgård). Sophie invites them all to the wedding, keeping the reason for their appearance secret from Donna until the big day.
Foolishness ensues, including much singing and dancing. Sophie and her bridesmaids do a perky number fit for “High School Musical”; so do Donna and her old bandmates, Rosie (Julie Walters) and Tanya (Christine Baranski), looking a lot more ridiculous. Streep can sing, although she doesn’t rise above the material until a dramatic reading of “The Winner Takes It All.” Seyfried has a decent pop voice, but the quality level descends quickly from there, with Brosnan at rock bottom, sounding like a failed “American Idol” contestant. Most of the dancing is shown in chaotic snippets, with Streep’s moments suitable for collection in a workout video.
The hits are all here (except “Fernando”), but it may take years of therapy to erase the images this movie leaves in place of the happy disco memories “Dancing Queen” and other ABBA songs used to evoke.
2 STARS—Steve Warren