Review of “Mamma Mia!”

is right on the money, Brian! I caught a screening at Outfest last week, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Sure, there were some minor pacing and editing issues in spots, but the energy and enthusiasm of the cast more than made up for it, and the visuals are absolutely stunning. Our audience was clearly loving it as well - I think the "Dancing Queen" number got the longest applause I've ever heard for a musical number in a film.

Sadly, I definitely have to agree with you about Pierce Brosnan - as perfect as he is in the role in every other way, his vocals needed to be somewhat equivalent to Meryl Streep's in order for it to work, which was definitely not the case. It made me long for the day that studios dubbed the voices of the stars who were vocally challenged. When I first heard that they had cut the song "Knowing Me, Knowing You" from the film I was disappointed, but considering it would have been another Pierce Brosnan solo, they definitely did the audience a favor.

One more gay touch I noticed - at the start of the "Super Trouper" number, Meryl looked almost exactly like Bernadette, Terence Stamp's character in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert. I'm not sure it was intentional, but I wasn't the only one who noted the eerie similarity.

 

PS: Sorry about the previous attribution to Dennis - I saw his name in the "Submitted by" area, and got the impression he was the author. No disrespect intended.

It's funny that you start your article mentioning that your mum's gonna love it because my mum will watch it tomorrow in a women-only screening. And my mum hasn't been to the movies for ages.

I guess she'll love it too.

I went to IMDb to find out more about the cast -- initially to figure out who Harry Bright (Colin Firth) ends up with at the wedding. And here's an interesting bit of trivia (especially for you Torchwood fans): 3 of the chorus boys (credited as "Stags" to the chorus girls' "Hens") are named "Gareth." Who knew it was such a popular name? (Well, you Welshmen did, of course. BTW: Is that the right term: Welshmen?)

Re: Harry's bf/lover/hookup, there seem to be 4 possibilities -- well, 1 who probably isn't, 1 who is a long shot, 1 whose photo is missing and whose credit list indicates he could be a good choice for a wedding hookup, and 1 who is a conventional movie choice (young, handsome, and sizzling). So it's either Stannos (has been working since 1963 -- probably not the guy), Gregoris (42 -- for a middle-aged guy like Harry, not a bad choice, and his photo reminds me of Paulo Szot's Eduardo, so he'd be possible in the real world), Pannos (who has only appeared in a few films, so he might be young and handsome, but his photo is absent from his bio), and Petros (Gor-Jus -- the best possibility, and the one that Hollywood would choose). So am I right? Does Harry end up with Petros? Or is his Greek god one of the non-Welsh Stags?

One more bit of trivia: two of the executive producers are Mr. and Mrs. Hanks (aka Tom and his wife Rita Wilson -- who also produced My Big Fat Greek Wedding). Cool that Rita, who is of Greek heritage, brings it home once again. She knows how to pick 'em, doesn't she?

Disclaimer: rather like Harry reversed, Pierce Brosnan is the man!crush of my life so I'm biased.

I've been listening to the movie soundtrack on loop for a day or two and I think that what Pierce lacks in skill he makes up for in earnestness and enthusiasm. I've read some reviews claiming he was actually very good- I'm unconvinced about that but he seems at least passable. (Just trying to cast a vote on his side here.)

I'm glad AE is covering this, I've been wondering what would happen with Harry and your description is, wonderfully, beyond my greatest expectations.

Mamma Mia literally means "good heavens" in Italian and this probably explains Pierce's singing. If he sings that bad, I wonder why they gave him a singing part. I'm sure they could have given songs he does to one of the other actors. maybe Harry's boyfriend.:-)

 

 

Live Long and Prosper

but Brosnan isn't as bad as I'd been led to expect. Not that he's any good. He's passable However the film itself isn't anywhere near as good as I'd been led to expect. Meryl is teriffic and her "The Winner Takes It All" is a great  11 O'clock number. Plus  I like Christine Branaski and Les Boys doing "Does Your Mother Know?" But all the numbers are staged in the same tiresome way ( a high school play finale) and the "plot" is a silly premise that keeps repeating itself incessantly. It's a film in  fugue state. REAL musicals (which is to say neither High School Musical nor The Sound of Nuns) have a variety of different numbers and "book" with some bite.

And I'm not talking Singin' in the Rain here. You need reach no higher than Give a Girl a Break and I Love Melvin.

Never heard of them? I'm not surprised. Arts education is the pits!

I just went with some friends tonight. We spent most of the post-film discussion deciding which of the three guys we'd go for... I was initially into Stellan, until my friend pointed out that motorbike+enthusiasiam for adventuring+the name Bill= My dad, which slightly put a damper on that one.

Pierce wasn't as bad as I was expecting... He was total middle-aged Irish dad. My friend pointed out that he is exactly what her dad will be like at her wedding, so maybe we're just used to it over here. He does totally give it his all though, so I'll forgive him any aural mishaps.

I loved the film. Obviously a tolerance if not liking of Abba's music helps. I hadn't seen the stage show before and I especially liked all of Dominic Cooper's scenes. Even bought the soundtrack despite already owning Abba Gold.

I've certainly heard worse singing on American Idol.

I'm cutting Pierce Brosnan some slack for being game enough to try a musical this late in his career.

Otherwise, you were spot-on with your review!

 Kudos to yuz!

 

I thought the stage version was enjoyable but stupidly silly, but it won me over just as the movie did (even though a lot of the songs used in the stage version were cut from the film.)  Gotta love the ABBA!  Granted, I probably laughed out loud more than the other audience members in the cinema, and I don't know if my LOL reactions to certain scenes was the director's intention, but the end result was that I had a good time, learned that Meryl Streep has a pretty voice, and came to the conclusion that had Gerard Butler been a little older, he would have made a better Sam.

Oh and I think Harry was formerly known as Headbanger Harry.

And just as I couldn't understand with the stage version, this is supposed to be set in recent/real time, yes?  Couldn't these people get a DNA or even a blood test to get the paternity question resolved.  Alas, there wouldn't be a stage or movie otherwise, eh?

I didn't like how all the couples except for the gay one got a kiss! And I thought the director was a lesbian! Sheesh...a kiss isn't much to ask. Or maybe there were too many little children in the audience that could be indoctrinated to go gay...pah.

.. so I can find the article again, once I've seen Mamma Mia!

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R.I.P. - Heath Ledger [1979 - 22 January 2008]

R.I.P. - Sayif [2006 - 12 June 2008] - my cat, run over by a car..