Mamma Mia! Frothy and fun
By Vanessa Ho
Mamma Mia! the movie is just as exuberant on screen as it is on stage. Having seen the stage production seven years ago, I had some trepidation as to how well that story can translate to the silver screen.
I needn't worry.
What works in the film's favour over the stage is the fact that it was actually filmed in Greece and the audience doesn't have to rely on their imagination to believe that they are in Mediterranean; you are there in all its beautiful and wonderful glory.
Mamma Mia! the movie and the stage musical have crafted a story around super 70s group ABBA to glorious effect. I found it amazing when I originally saw the show that they took songs like the title song and Dancing Queen and somehow made its lyrics work with the story.
By Vanessa Ho
Mamma Mia! the movie is just as exuberant on screen as it is on stage. Having seen the stage production seven years ago, I had some trepidation as to how well that story can translate to the silver screen.
I needn't worry.
What works in the film's favour over the stage is the fact that it was actually filmed in Greece and the audience doesn't have to rely on their imagination to believe that they are in Mediterranean; you are there in all its beautiful and wonderful glory.
Mamma Mia! the movie and the stage musical have crafted a story around super 70s group ABBA to glorious effect. I found it amazing when I originally saw the show that they took songs like the title song and Dancing Queen and somehow made its lyrics work with the story.
But what is the story that the ABBA songs fit so nicely? Well, Mamma Mia! is about Sophie (Amanda Seyfried, TV's Big Love) who is about the get married to Sky (a very hunky Dominic Cooper) and wants her Dad to give her away. The only problem is she doesn't know who her dad is and after reading her mom's, Donna (Meryl Streep), diary, she discovers that she has three possible fathers: Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) and Harry (Colin Firth). Hilarity ensues when Donna discovers all three men are at the resort that she runs and gets all emotionally confused upon seeing them again, especially Brosnan's Sam. Good thing her two best friends (Christine Baranski and Julie Walters) from their singing group days are in town for the wedding to offer emotional support.
The performances from all the actors are surprisingly good, especially Streep who sings with great gusto especially on The Winner Takes it All and Walters (Harry Potter's Mrs. Weasley) offers great comic relief in particular with her wooing Skarsgard's Bill during Take a Chance on Me. Another highlight is the end credits, which I won't spoil here but if you've seen Mamma Mia! on stage then you know what I am talking about.
However, the real star of the film is Seyfried. Her singing voice alone is stupendous. I love her renditions of Lay all your love on me (one of my favourite songs from the stage version) and I have a dream.
The same can't be said for Brosnan, whose singing voice is just atrocious, more than over during SOS. I wanted to yell S.O.S so someone could save me from his singing. Firth and Skarsgard do decent jobs with the songs they are given to sing (Our Last Summer and Take a Chance on Me, respectively).
The film version also benefitted from having the original creative team on board with the stage production's director Phyllida Lloyd helming the film version and the book writer, Catherine Johnson, writing the screenplay. And unlike, The Producers movie, this didn't seem like a reproduction of the stage version because of the fact that it was filmed on location.
Mamma Mia! is one of the better recent stage to screen musical adaptations of recent years and a must see for all ABBA fans; just plug your ears when Brosnan is singing!
