Cotton Candy for the Movie Lover's Soul: "Mamma Mia!" (2008)

Brand new Kennedy Center Honoree Meryl Streep leads a chorus of ladies to the strains of ABBA's 70's classic "Dancing Queen" in a scene from 2008's "Mamma Mia!"

The following post was originally posted on MySpace on July 18, 2008, but I am reposting it here since I just watched the movie again recently, and this post still reflects my feelings about the film:

I did something last night that I haven't done since 2002- no, it wasn't sexual in nature, but it did require being awake for the better part of the night.  That actually doesn't bother me, since I spend every other month working all night, but this was for pure pleasure.

I went to the midnight showing of "Mamma Mia!" at the Spartan 16, where, among a handful of sold out showings of "The Dark Knight", myself and five other people took a little trip to the Greek coast, heard some good (not great) and some not-so-good (not horrible) singing, watched a very talented mix of actors appear to be having a ball while keeping the pretty flimsy plot aloft between the gloriously cheesy 70's era Scandanavian pop lyrics of ABBA.

Despite what "Entertainment Weekly" may have thought, I found the cinematography to be beautiful, and if the Greek islands are that photogenic then book me for the next flight/cruise/whatever to get over there!  Meryl Streep probably won't garner Oscar 3 for her work here, but it is one of the most enjoyable performances I've ever seen her give.  Granted, she earned her reputation as a dramatic actress of the highest caliber playing tragic heroines, but to see her looking disheveled, rolling around on the roof of a goat house was a delight, and she seemed to be enjoying the experience as well.  Although the vocal "talents" of co-stars Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgard, and Colin Firth may never win them any success on the pop charts, each of them created a distinct character, and each acted (if not sang) their role with the ability they are noted for.

Christine Baranski and Julie Walters provided wonderful backup to Streep (musically as well as dramatically), added to the comedy of the film, and were each rewarded with a song that showcased them.  Baranski's "Does Your Mother Know?" sung amidst a beachful of strapping young men, and Walters' "Take a Chance on Me" performed during a wedding reception were two of my favorite numbers.  The highlight for me however, was definitely the "Dancing Queen" number.  Performed with practically the entire female populace of the island, the scene was joyous and infectious, and left me with a big goofy grin for the remainder of the entire film.

The younger cast members, Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper looked lovely, but never seemed convincing as a real couple.  Seyfried's handled her songs better than I expected, and was even supplied with her own back-up girls (the bridesmaids) who served as a neat parallel to Streep, Baranski, and Walters.  I really can't tell you much about Cooper's singing or acting, but I can tell you that the man was born to wear swimming trunks. 

One fantasy sequence seemed a little out of place, but if you consider the whole movie a fantasy, then it was entirely appropriate.  I won't spoil anyone's fun by mentioning any of the (fairly predictable) plot twists, except to say that I loved that the finale was very inclusive, and also seemed appropriate for the whole movie.  Also, the fact that there was a Greek chorus (literally!) made me happy like a snowcone does on a hot summer day. 

It's not a grand piece of filmmaking that will go down in history- but hey, it was never meant to be.  It's an enjoyable piece of sweet summertime fluff that I thoroughly enjoyed, and will enjoy again sometime soon.  And really, for the cost of a movie ticket, isn't that really a bargain?