Review: Mamma Mia!

Mamma Mia!

Opening Date: 07/18/2008

STUDIO: Universal

TRAILER: Trailer

ACCOMPLICES: Official Site

The Charge
A mother. A daughter. Three possible fathers. A trip down the aisle you’ll never forget!

Opening Statement
This past weekend, movie-goers had the choice between two new movies: a comic book adventure featuring the Caped Crusader battling the Joker; or a sassy musical about an over-the-hill, former slut who prepares for her daughter’s wedding. For most, the decision was not a difficult one.

Facts of the Case
All Sophie (Amanda Seyfried, Mean Girls) wants is for her real father to escort her down the aisle at her forthcoming wedding. Trouble is, he could be one of three men: Sam (Pierce Brosnan, The Matador), Harry (Colin Firth, Then She Found Me), or Bill (Stellan Skarsgârd, Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End). And the only way to find out is to invite them all to her mother’s (Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada) Greek isle resort! What follows is a series of encounters, arguments, and blessings, all musically emphasized by a bunch of ABBA songs.

The Evidence
Rest assured, Mamma Mia! doesn’t have a chance to beat Batman’s butt at the box office. Nevertheless, it was given a huge head start in England, where it has already racked up almost $12 million, knocking Will Smith’s Hancock to second place. To U.S. audiences, that may be nothing to brag about, but there was plenty of singing at the theater I attended. The audience was going nuts for the musical numbers, enthusiastically crooning along with the actors on the screen, as they belted out the familiar tunes. And the scary part: I actually joined them… at times, anyway.

In truth, this was far from the wonderful musical extravaganza I was expecting. I have never seen the stage show; yet, since seeing the great 1994 film Muriel’s Wedding, I’ve been a fan of ABBA’s music. (Every time “Dancing Queen” starts playing, I seriously do feel the inclination to join in its joyous jubilee.) The smashing musical numbers were surely the highlight of Mamma Mia!, an overblown song-and-dance movie which almost collapses under its own weight due to an inexperienced director and a lot of curiously convoluted choreography.

Musicals have made an impressive comeback in the 21st century. It started with Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge, followed by the vastly overrated, Best Picture-winner Chicago. Since then, we’ve had other projects like Rent, Dreamgirls, and Hairspray, all of which have rejuvenated and rekindled the genre with surprising conviction. Despite the fact that Mamma Mia’s spirit is so high—and energy so invigorating—it disappoints in spite of its stage success, making it a mild musical which only partially succeeds.

Oddly enough, the weakest element is Phyllida Lloyd’s direction. She directed the original stage production and obviously has a lot of passion for the material. The problem is, she’s so inexperienced behind the camera it shows. Mamma Mia! boasts an idyllic setting and many talented actors, but she never takes full advantage of either. The Greek island location is too stagy and too restricted to enhance the cinematic scope. What’s worse, she’s so bent on moving around with the camera, she ends up losing focus on the principals as they break out. Her use of slow-mo shots are distracting to the point of annoying; even the fantastic “Dancing Queen” sequence is briefly compromised because of this ill-fated decision. Then there’s the choreography, which would make Jerome Robbins roll over in his grave. I didn’t expect the filmmakers to strive to perfection, but “sloppy” has been used in many reviews regarding this fundamental element. Many of the numbers feel awkward and cluttered, almost to the point where the supplementary singers are distracting. The energy is there, it just isn’t executed properly, making Mamma Mia! a jumbled mess.

Still, despite all its shortcomings, the film delights thanks to a willing cast, such as when Streep sings the title tune after discovering her ex-boyfriends, or when Baranski booms to “Does Your Mother Know?” while the background beach dancers add to the proceedings. At first, I was uneasy at the idea of Meryl Streep singing and dancing, but she is a triumph, proving once again she is one of the finest actresses the silver screen has ever been blessed with. She’s an absolute joy to watch, marvelously aided by Christine Baranski and Julie Walters, who are both very funny as her fellow dancing divas. Their closing numbers are knockouts, if a bit anticlimactic. Kudos also to Amanda Seyfried, an up-and-coming talent who is irresistible from the first frame to last, as the daughter determined to have her dream come true.

Unfortunately, the male actors don’t measure up. Pierce Brosnan, as charming as he is, looks so uncomfortable singing that he is almost straining trying to keep up with the music. Just watch him during “S.O.S.” and you will be shocked that no one from the crew sent out a distress signal. Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgârd are engaging, but deserve more screen time, as both virtually disappear in the second half. The real standout among the guys is Dominic Cooper as Sophie’s fiancé, whose voice soars during the “Lay All Your Love On Me” duet with Seyfried.

Closing Statement
Mamma Mia! needs no more criticism. Those who are fans of ABBA, the show, or musicals in general will likely get a kick out of it, while others will be rather embarrassed to be in the same theater with the dedicated. The cast and music are admittedly first-rate, and to those buying tickets, that’s all that really matters.

The Verdict
Oh, hell… Not Guilty.

6/10

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