Review - Mamma Mia!

Since premiering in 1999, the Mamma Mia! stage show has broken box office records around the world. Unfortunately, it also started the trend for back catalogue musicals, spawning Ben Elton’s We Will Rock You and the grotesque gold Freddy Mercury, the Colossus of Tottenham Court Road, that accompanies it. The concept no one thought would work proved to be a huge (and repeatable) success, showing that when it comes to musical scores, familiarity breeds moolah. A screen adaptation of this Abba musical was inevitable, and the result is one of the silliest and most fun films of the year.

The plot concerns Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep), an aging hippie who runs a guesthouse on a Greek island with her daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried). Despite their idyllic life, Sophie has never felt whole because she doesn’t know who her father is. On the eve of her wedding, she secretly invites the three men who could potentially be her daddy, played by Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgård. Much inevitable hilarity ensues, as the past is uncovered and relationships blossom under the Mediterranean sun.

A person’s reaction to this film is likely to be dependent on their feelings towards Abba, so central is their music to proceedings. The plot seems little more than a frame to hang the hits on at times, with songs somewhat shoehorned in. Working in Fernando, the sad lament to defeat in a civil war in Central America, thankfully proved a step too far for Catherine Johnson (the writer of the original play and this script) and it is left out.

Casting non-singers in a musical is always a risk, and here the results are mixed. Amanda Seyfried’s clear voice is the best of the bunch, and her adorable performance marks her as a star in the making. Brosnan, Firth and Skarsgård, on the other hand, are peculiarly awful. Still, their attempts at carrying tunes are amusing, and show that this is not a film meant to be taken seriously. The only other time I can recall seeing Meryl Streep burst into song is at the end of the Deer Hunter, and I am always crying so much that I have failed to register whether or not she can actually sing. It turns out she can; and whilst she may not be technically perfect, she more than makes up for it with her sincerity and conviction in the role.

Mamma Mia! is a ridiculous sun-drenched confection made enjoyable because of the exuberance of the performances and the pop brilliance of the songs. Whatever cruel things critics say about inane lyrics and sequined platform boots, Benny and Björn’s soaring melodies have become the soundtrack to people’s lives. This film gives us an opportunity to experience these songs again, making it a sure-fire hit. Now brace yourself We Will Rock You: The Movie.