Mamma Mia!
Starring: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan SkarsgDirector: Phyllida Lloyd
Year of Release: 2008
Transitioning stage musicals to movies can be tricky. However I get the impression that this one did not pose much of a challenge. It all seems rather mainstream and run-of-the-mill, much like the audience I suspect has kept this stage musical going for years. It’s gimmick is that the characters break out into ABBA songs a fairly regular basis and very loosely connected to a story about a girl getting married and not knowing who her real dad is. The songs are loosely connected meaning not very connected at all. They are just kind of there like a karaoke soundtrack shoved in by a crazy, obsessed ABBA fan. And considering how closely associated ABBA is these days with drag/gay culture, it’s no surprise that the movie feels a little bit like a gay pride parade wrapped around a bad soap opera.
One thing I also dislike about Hollywood versions of stage musicals is that they tend to hire actors based on their names and not their singing/dancing ability. This has gone on for ages, like the time Audrey Hepburn got the movie role in My Fair Lady that a lesser-known Julie Andrews had already performed brilliantly on stage. Meryl Streep is of course a great actress but she is not known for her singing ability or has ever performed in a musical as far as I know. Add to that Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, and the rest and you’ve got some decent actors but not necessarily good musical performers. This adds to the “forced” nature of the musical acts and the rather flat feeling the movie has all around.
However, after having said all that, if you just want some light fun and who cares about the details or sophistication, you won’t go wrong with Mamma Mia! It has fun moments and is certainly good to pass the time.
