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‘Mamma Mia!’ Review: Ah, to be 50-Something and in Love
Seacoast Online ^ | 7/20/08 | Gina Carbone

Posted on 07/20/2008 7:29:52 PM PDT by Dr. Scarpetta

God it must be fun to be Meryl Streep. She always seems to be having a blast. It’s certainly fun to watch her in “Mamma Mia!”

You don’t often get to see 50-something women be as randy and rowdy as the boys in “Superbad.” But that’s what Streep, Christine Baranski and Julie Walters do while they steal the film away from every young hot body on that Greek island.

And what an island. Sigh. If I lose my mind and get married I’ll head to that gorgeous church at the top of those winding stairs. What a magical place.

It’s a magical movie. Just as fun as a movie based on a musical based on ABBA songs involving a wedding with assorted misunderstandings set on a fairy tale Greek island should be. What a tragedy if it were a bore.

The main character is really Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), a bubbly little blonde set to be married in a few days, who finds and reads her mother’s diary then makes the questionable decision to invite three men to her wedding because one of them is her father.

She’s not sure which one and she doesn’t tell her fiancé, Sky who doesn’t even want to get married, or her mother, Donna (Streep), who doesn’t want the men around.

Sophie’s best pals show up to support her, but Rachel McDowall and Ashley Lilley, while lovely, can’t match the sheer glee of Baranski and Walters as Donna’s old friends and band buddies, Tanya and Rosie.

There are songs every few minutes and the best may be “Dancing Queen,” which prompts every woman on the island to drop what she’s doing to follow Donna as she dances through the streets. I wanted to get up and join in.

Streep has a nice voice (and even nicer lighting) and Seyfried, the strongest singer, has a sweet lilt to match the rest of her beauty.

The rest of the cast is spotty and sings more for function than talent. Pierce Brosnan, as Donna’s first love, Sam, has the most to do and he growls his way through it to mixed results. But he’s Pierce Brosnan, so … free pass!

Stellan Skarsgard and Colin Firth play Donna’s other two former beaus and potential fathers to Sophie. Skarsgard’s Bill is an adventurer who sails around the island. Firth’s Harry is a fussy banker.

I love that these respected dramatic actors aren’t above doing bright, shiny soufflés like this. Just the picture of Colin Firth taking off his shirt and flinging himself around with abandon to ABBA songs makes me love him more. (The end credits alone are worth the price of admission – I love the “Bill” belt.)

Most of “Mamma Mia!” is light and fluffy but it starts with Seyfried on a boat in the dark, singing “I Have a Dream” with something close to mournfulness.

Toward the end the movie also picks up some gravitas – which makes sense if we’re going to accept the idea of a woman who dated three men at the same time, got pregnant, had the child, then essentially never dated again, only to see the men at her daughter’s wedding 20 years later. Lots of unresolved emotions there.

At one point Street powers through “The Winner Takes It All” with all the feeling of an Oscar winner. She does a fabulous job but I prefer the foot-tapping moments like the mass dance to “Voulez Vous” the night before the wedding and Baranski flirting with a young bartender to “Does Your Mother Know?”

If I didn’t hate the word empowering I’d use it to describe this film’s treatment of women. It’s driven by ladies on screen and off - directed by theater director Phyllida Lloyd, written by Catherine Johnson and one of the chief producers is Judy Craymer.

It celebrates life – and sex - at all ages, never condescending to any of the characters but never taking them too seriously either.

This is the perfect counter-programming to “The Dark Knight.” Not that the audiences won’t overlap. Rarely does a week go by that I don’t listen to “ABBA Gold” and also wish I had a Batpod. It’s the best of both worlds.

But instead of a dark knight, "Mamma Mia!” has a bright princess in Amanda Seyfried and a true dancing queen in Meryl Streep.

You don’t have to be a die-hard ABBA fan to love this film, but it certainly helps. Take a chance on loving it!

Gina Carbone thinks “The Dark Knight” was even better the second time. She can be reached at gcarbone@seacoastonline.com.


TOPICS: Music/Entertainment; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: chickflick; hollywood; mamamia; moviereview
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I saw Mamma Mia, and it was a lot of fun. If you like singing and dancing, you'll have a good time...

1 posted on 07/20/2008 7:29:52 PM PDT by Dr. Scarpetta
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To: Dr. Scarpetta

she looks kinda scary in that picture. sometimes pictures can do that.


2 posted on 07/20/2008 7:31:32 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand (bweed'n dee boo bow shaaaboood'n dee feee-oooo!)
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To: sarasota

*Ping


3 posted on 07/20/2008 7:33:12 PM PDT by Dr. Scarpetta
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To: the invisib1e hand

4 posted on 07/20/2008 7:34:54 PM PDT by Dr. Scarpetta
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To: Dr. Scarpetta
I can say, I'm definitely glad I have managed to miss this movie.
5 posted on 07/20/2008 7:36:07 PM PDT by Licensed-To-Carry
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To: Dr. Scarpetta

It was a disappointment after the stage play. Several of the movie leads cannot sing.


6 posted on 07/20/2008 7:37:46 PM PDT by pabianice
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To: pabianice

Are you thinking of Pierce Brosnan?


7 posted on 07/20/2008 7:38:31 PM PDT by Dr. Scarpetta
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To: Licensed-To-Carry

What an inspiring premise: The skank slept with 3 different men, so the daughter doesn’t know which one is her father.

Reminds me of the slam that says Father’s Day is the most confusing day of the year in a certain part of town. Had no idea the Greeks were into that stuff, too.


8 posted on 07/20/2008 7:43:19 PM PDT by Tucker39 (Darwin, Huxley, Sagan, et al began believing in God and Creation after 5 seconds in Hell!)
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To: Dr. Scarpetta

well, if i should see this movie (not likely) it would be just because of Colin Firth... Meryl Streep seems too old for him...


9 posted on 07/20/2008 7:43:40 PM PDT by latina4dubya
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To: Tucker39
Had no idea the Greeks were into that stuff, too.

read a Greek tragedy... seems lots of this stuff started with the Greeks...

10 posted on 07/20/2008 7:45:33 PM PDT by latina4dubya
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To: latina4dubya

There are definitely things you have to overlook in this movie, like the age difference between Meryl and Colin. The best thing was that I took my 86 yr old mother who’s in a wheelchair with Parkinson’s, and she enjoyed it...


11 posted on 07/20/2008 7:46:47 PM PDT by Dr. Scarpetta
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To: Dr. Scarpetta; SunkenCiv
Photobucket

Now, this would be a movie.

12 posted on 07/20/2008 7:55:26 PM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: Dr. Scarpetta
My wife and I saw this today. I owed her for Ironman, Indiana Jones, and Incedible hulk, (Technically qualifies as a Chick flick because of the wedding at the end). Anyway I am not a big fan of ABBA, but the movie was good.

Streep really is over the top and seems to really enjoy herself.

13 posted on 07/20/2008 8:13:34 PM PDT by verga (I am not an apologist, I just play one on Television)
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To: verga

I give you credit for going. I want to see the remake of Brideshead Revisted and my Husband, says no go - so I will be flying solo./Just Asking - seoul62......


14 posted on 07/20/2008 8:17:20 PM PDT by seoul62
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To: Dr. Scarpetta

....maybe I’ll go just so I can tell everyone I was the first straight man to see it...


15 posted on 07/20/2008 8:21:25 PM PDT by Tzimisce (How Would Mohammed Vote? Obama for President!)
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To: martin_fierro
Hey, Just for good measure, we could always toss "Islamic Rage Boy" in there as well :)

RAGEBOY MIA, here I go again My my, time for me to rage again!


16 posted on 07/20/2008 8:26:30 PM PDT by eXe (Si vis pacem, para bellum)
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To: Tzimisce

//I’ll go just so I can tell everyone I was the first straight man to see it//

Reminds me when she made me go see ‘Mrs Doubtfire’ with her....


17 posted on 07/20/2008 8:50:52 PM PDT by valkyry1
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To: verga

What is it with men and the ‘dreaded chick flick’? I don’t want to sit and watch blood and gore or men sitting around cussing.

Have to admit that song and dance aren’t my choice but many ‘just nice’ movies are considered ‘chick flicks’ by men.


18 posted on 07/20/2008 8:57:52 PM PDT by potlatch (MICHELLE OBAMA - The gift that just keeps on giving....!)
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To: Dr. Scarpetta

If I had the choice between shooting myself and seeing this movie I’m still not sure which would be worse.


19 posted on 07/20/2008 8:58:35 PM PDT by Larry381 (That's not the flagpin I knew)
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To: Dr. Scarpetta
Something wrong with that image on Meryl Streep. That cant be those arms coming off those women.

Anyhow, not even volcanoes can carry heat as long as ‘Helen Mirren’ has.


20 posted on 07/20/2008 9:04:32 PM PDT by valkyry1
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