Publications
Partners
Mamma Mia!
What it's about:
Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is a young woman with the world at her feet, she's marrying her childhood sweetheart Sky (Dominic Cooper) and has a happy life living and working at her mother's Greek island taverna. But Sophie's dream to be walked down the aisle by the father she never knew creates chaos when she secretly invites the three men she learns were dating her mother around the time of her conception. They work it all out through the power of ABBA - as all things should, actually.
What we thought of it:
Wow, what a happy, frothy, party film this is! You'll be grinning from ear to ear like a loon throughout the entire 110 minutes. Provided you enjoy musicals, and ABBA-centric ones, of course. Anyone who's a fan of ABBA or the hit musical from which this film is adapted will know what to expect – lots and lots of singing and dancing and general merry-making. None of the socio-political wranglings we saw in last year's Hairspray (2007) or the wicked sexual games of Chicago (2002) here - Mamma Mia! is pure entertainment.
Meryl Streep, naturally, steals the show as Sophie's single mother, Donna. Audiences have never seen her like this before. She plays Donna with energy and enthusiasm and at 58 looks absolutely radiant. Her three past loves who come to see her are architect Sam Carmichael (former 007 Pierce Brosnan), banker Harry Bright (Colin Firth) and the adventurous Bill Austin (Stellan Skarsgård).
Each arrive on the island under the impression that they were personally invited by Donna, but she's mortified to see them again after so many years and has to wrestle with old feelings and buried memories of her carefree youth while planning her daughter's wedding and maintaining her little ramshackle hotel.
Also on the island for the wedding are Donna's two oldest friends, the fun-loving Rosie (Julie Walters) and the wealthy-by-divorce man-eater Tanya (Christine Baranski). Years ago the three performed together as a girl-group called Donna and the Dynamos and for Sophie's bachelorette party they squeeze into their brightly sequined jumpsuits one more time for a special performance. Sam, Harry and Bill soon come to realise that one of them is Sophie's father and separately pledge to Sophie that they will give her away at her wedding.
So, who is Sophie's father? Will Donna remain happily single now that her daughter is flying the coop? And will the cast of seasoned drama actors survive the rigours of ABBA's complicated vocal melodies and keep their credibility intact? On that last score, it's a bit of a hit-and-miss.
Streep is a better singer than she's led us all to believe. Her version of "The Winner Takes it All" is sure to attract attention come award season. Seyfried (who is best known for her TV roles on Veronica Mars and Big Love) is poised to become a star – she and Streep make a convincing mother-daughter team and her rendition of "I Have A Dream" will give you goose bumps.
The older men, unfortunately, are less successful. Brosnan's honeyed speech tones don't translate as well when he has to hold a note – there's a reason why James Bond never serenaded his many conquests – while Firth and Skarsgård are saved by not having much solo material to perform. Though, it's a rare treat to see these usually somber actors play these characters with such wild abandon.
It's easy to forgive the vocal missteps because the songs themselves are so superior. All the classics from "Dancing Queen" to "Voulez-Vous", "SOS" and "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" are here, and while ABBA fans will find it very difficult not to jump from their seats and sing along, others will find the exuberance of it all rather irritating.
This is one of the best-looking films you'll see this year. The cast are sun-kissed and glowing, and look as if they're having great fun, while the gorgeous Greek island locations are picture-postcard perfect.
And just when you thought it was all happily ever after, the end credits will send you off with its traditional ABBA encore. Be sure not to miss it. It's hilarious.
- Shaheema Barodien
Get published on Channel24! Send us your movie, music and live gig reviews and columns and get published on Channel24. Send your articles to PublishMe@sa.24.com.
Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is a young woman with the world at her feet, she's marrying her childhood sweetheart Sky (Dominic Cooper) and has a happy life living and working at her mother's Greek island taverna. But Sophie's dream to be walked down the aisle by the father she never knew creates chaos when she secretly invites the three men she learns were dating her mother around the time of her conception. They work it all out through the power of ABBA - as all things should, actually.
What we thought of it:
Wow, what a happy, frothy, party film this is! You'll be grinning from ear to ear like a loon throughout the entire 110 minutes. Provided you enjoy musicals, and ABBA-centric ones, of course. Anyone who's a fan of ABBA or the hit musical from which this film is adapted will know what to expect – lots and lots of singing and dancing and general merry-making. None of the socio-political wranglings we saw in last year's Hairspray (2007) or the wicked sexual games of Chicago (2002) here - Mamma Mia! is pure entertainment.
Meryl Streep, naturally, steals the show as Sophie's single mother, Donna. Audiences have never seen her like this before. She plays Donna with energy and enthusiasm and at 58 looks absolutely radiant. Her three past loves who come to see her are architect Sam Carmichael (former 007 Pierce Brosnan), banker Harry Bright (Colin Firth) and the adventurous Bill Austin (Stellan Skarsgård).
Each arrive on the island under the impression that they were personally invited by Donna, but she's mortified to see them again after so many years and has to wrestle with old feelings and buried memories of her carefree youth while planning her daughter's wedding and maintaining her little ramshackle hotel.
Also on the island for the wedding are Donna's two oldest friends, the fun-loving Rosie (Julie Walters) and the wealthy-by-divorce man-eater Tanya (Christine Baranski). Years ago the three performed together as a girl-group called Donna and the Dynamos and for Sophie's bachelorette party they squeeze into their brightly sequined jumpsuits one more time for a special performance. Sam, Harry and Bill soon come to realise that one of them is Sophie's father and separately pledge to Sophie that they will give her away at her wedding.
So, who is Sophie's father? Will Donna remain happily single now that her daughter is flying the coop? And will the cast of seasoned drama actors survive the rigours of ABBA's complicated vocal melodies and keep their credibility intact? On that last score, it's a bit of a hit-and-miss.
Streep is a better singer than she's led us all to believe. Her version of "The Winner Takes it All" is sure to attract attention come award season. Seyfried (who is best known for her TV roles on Veronica Mars and Big Love) is poised to become a star – she and Streep make a convincing mother-daughter team and her rendition of "I Have A Dream" will give you goose bumps.
The older men, unfortunately, are less successful. Brosnan's honeyed speech tones don't translate as well when he has to hold a note – there's a reason why James Bond never serenaded his many conquests – while Firth and Skarsgård are saved by not having much solo material to perform. Though, it's a rare treat to see these usually somber actors play these characters with such wild abandon.
It's easy to forgive the vocal missteps because the songs themselves are so superior. All the classics from "Dancing Queen" to "Voulez-Vous", "SOS" and "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" are here, and while ABBA fans will find it very difficult not to jump from their seats and sing along, others will find the exuberance of it all rather irritating.
This is one of the best-looking films you'll see this year. The cast are sun-kissed and glowing, and look as if they're having great fun, while the gorgeous Greek island locations are picture-postcard perfect.
And just when you thought it was all happily ever after, the end credits will send you off with its traditional ABBA encore. Be sure not to miss it. It's hilarious.
- Shaheema Barodien
Get published on Channel24! Send us your movie, music and live gig reviews and columns and get published on Channel24. Send your articles to PublishMe@sa.24.com.
