MAMMA MIA
US, 2008, 108 minutes, Colour.
Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Amanda Seyfried, Rachel Mc Dowall, Ashley Lilley, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, Dominic Cooper.
Directed by Phyllida Lord.
Mamma Mia, here we go again.
The trouble is that Abba songs and their catchy tunes have been around for over three decades and they have lodged securely (and are ready for replay) in the neural grooves of those of us who are not as young as we used to be. The theatre musical that has been playing round the world for almost ten years has reinforced their popularity and with some younger audiences as well.
Mamma Mia is one film that is definitely critic-proof. Fans will want to see (and hear) it, no matter what. For those who detest Abba songs, nothing will get them to go to see it. Fair enough. But what about those of us who are stranded somewhere along the love-hate continuum? Since this reviewer finds himself there, a few comments may be in order… Comments!
The plot has been concocted along the lines of the old Hollywood musicals like Singin’ in the Rain. The songs are there, so construct a story around them. This one has the advantage of a Greek island setting which, of course, is very attractive. But the plot is built around a fairly flimsy outline: young girl about to be married finds her mother’s diary and finds that she has three possible fathers so she invites them to come to the wedding; mother is furious; the three reminisce and…
One of the problems with the film is that it starts loudly with a gaggle-giggle (the bride and her friends), then increases to shriek level (mother and her ‘old’ friends) and generally doesn’t back down. A fellow-reviewer suggested that it is really like a pantomime with characters, dialogue, songs and costumes heightened accordingly.
It is, of course, fascinating to see Meryl Streep as Donna, the mother, and listening to her sing hits like Mamma Mia itself. She has sung effectively in the past in Postcards from the Edge, Death Becomes Her and A Prairie Home Companion. The three fathers are Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgaard (keeping up the Swedish connection). They seem to be enjoying themselves and doing a bit of singing – though Pierce Brosnan is no great shakes. In an interview, Meryl Streep defended him by saying that his voice was something between Tom Waites and Joe Cocker. Amanda Seyfried is very central to the proceedings as the daughter but Dominic Cooper as her fiancé does not really persuade us that he likes her let alone loves her. Christine Baranski is very good as one of Donna’s buddies and fits into the proceedings perfectly and humorously. But Julie Walters as Donna’s other friend is so hyper-hyper that she needs hosing down or should have taken a lot of tranquilisers before she came on set.
Two spoilers which fans may actually appreciate. Fernando is not in the film and, for those waiting for Waterloo to turn up, don’t despair, it does get a finale with the main cast wearing all those 1970s bright costumes and flares.
There is a lot of exuberant choreography. The whole thing is rather camp in visuals and style. But, at the end, fans are going to enjoy their favourite songs in a colourful musical.
1.The popularity of the Abba songs? The theatre version? The story? Feelgood?
2.The appeal for Abba fans? The lack of appeal for non-Abba fans?
3.The pantomime style, the plot, characters, performance, songs, costumes and décor?
4.The songs, their use throughout the film, moving the plot forward, illustrating character?
5.The plausibility of the plot: the 1970s, relationships, sexuality, pregnancy, the consequences? Donna, in Greece, her relationship with her parents, especially her mother? Her becoming pregnant? Sam leaving to go back to America and to his wife? Her being by herself? Her relationship with Sophie, bringing her up, Sophie needing to know who her father was? The invitation in her mother’s name, the acceptance, the results?
6.Sophie as the focus of the film, her song about her dream, her being in love with Sky, the decision to marry him? Deceiving her mother about the invitations? The preparation for the wedding ceremony, the dress? Her mother and her hostility towards the three men coming? Her friends and their arrival, their giggling, the secrecy? The meetings? The preparation for the stag party, the hen night? Her mother performing with her friends? Sky reacting to the news about what she had done? The wedding and seeing each of her potential fathers? Her wanting to know who would give her away? Finally asking her mother? The marriage, deciding not to marry, the reasons, the change of plans? The finale?
7.Donna, the focus of the film, Meryl Streep’s presence and performance, her life, the relationship with the three men, working at the hotel, to keep it going, the need for repairs, the cracked floor, in overalls, mending things? Sophie and the wedding? The arrival of Rose and Anita, the shrieks, the girl-talk? Discovering that the men had arrived? Her reaction? Singing ‘Mamma Mia’? Talking to Sophie? Her clashes with Sam? The discussions, the song, ‘The Winner Takes It All’? ‘The Dancing Queen’ and the fantasy? The wedding, her reaction to its being called off, Sam and his proposal? The happy ending?
8.Rose and Tanya, the friends from the past, the arrival, the ferry, Rose and her cookbook reputation, Tanya as a multi-divorcee? The arrival, the men? With Donna, the ‘Dancing Queen’ fantasy? Tanya and her jokes, with the young man, Rose and her eavesdropping, dancing on the table, proposal to Bill?
9.The girlfriends, their characters, confiding with Sophie?
10.Sky, in himself, his hopes, love for Sophie, his songs, the stag party, his reaction to being deceived, at the wedding, breaking it off?
11.The Greek background, the chorus, the men and the women, their work, their participation in the songs, the processions for ‘Dancing Queen’, on the wharf, into the water?
12.The introduction to the three men in their life situation? Harry and his work as a banker, his lonely life? Sam and the firm, his assistant? Bill, the background of adventures, with the boat? The arrival, Bill bringing them to the island? The meeting with Sophie, going to their room? Donna discovering them? The hostility? Their decision to stay, to go sailing, the discussions amongst themselves, the realisation of what had happened, the issue of giving Sophie away? Each one aware? Sam as the architect, his past, the letter to Donna, going to marry, not loving his wife, his sons, his return? Bill and the Swedish background, the life of adventure, the boat, the discussions with Harry and bringing him out of himself? Harry, the bank, having met Donna in Paris, coming to the island with her? His homosexuality, the confession to Bill, the attraction of the Greek man, the end? Their decision to be three fathers?
13.The development of the songs: Sophie and her singing ‘I Have a Dream’ at the beginning and the end, the decision to invite the men to her wedding, ‘Honey Honey’? The songs for Donna and her friends? ‘Money Money Money’? ‘Mamma Mia’? Her confiding in her friends, Chiquitita’? The fantasy and the re-creation of the past with ‘Dancing Queen’? Sophie and her singing of ‘Our Last Summer’? Sky and Sophie and their singing ‘Lay All Your Love on Me’? Donna and Tanya and Rosie and ‘Super Trouper’? The girls and the dancing with ‘Gimme Gimme Gimme’? Sophie and the singing of ‘Voulez Vous’? Sam and ‘SOS’? Pepper and Tanya and their dance on the beach, ‘Does Your Mother Know’? Sophie and singing ‘Slipping Through My Fingers’? Donna and the self-reflection in ‘The Winner Takes it All’? Finally her accepting Sam, ‘I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do’? Sam singing to Donna, ‘When All Is Said and Done’? Rosie and her trying to attract Bill, ‘Take a Chance on Me’? Sophie and her reprising ‘I Have a Dream’? The finale and the 70s flair, style with ‘Dancing Queen’ and the encore with ‘Waterloo’?
