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You can't find a finer actress than Meryl Streep. This movie presented her with the 15th Academy Award nomination! She holds the record for being the only actress with that many nominees. Suffice it to say, everything she touches turns to gold!! She sparkled in this movie. She truly showed her talent as a musically gifted lady. We are all so used to seeing her in serious roles, that it is quite a surprise to see how well she can sing and dance. This is a beautiful movie for the family. I love every ticket that is sold to teens, getting them away from the blood and violence of most movies these days! Meryl's daughter, who is about to be married in the film, is played wonderfully by Amanda Seyfried. She has a great voice and carried the role well. Pierce Brosnan was a high card that didnt get played! Yes, he's incredibly handsome, and yes, he can sing, but, I felt, he got lost in the show. He just didn't seem to have his heart in it. I felt no audience chemisty, at all. Christine Baranski, playing one of Meryl's friends, was great! Often the scene stealer, she had her heart in the role and pulled it off well. Pure delight. AS for the show itself---to me it seemed way over the top! It was almost annoying. The scene, towards the end, that takes place on the dock, had so many dancers on the dock, that I thought it was a wonder it didn't cave in. It just looked ridiculous!! My suggestion on this movie: Rent it first. If you like it well enough to watch it more than once, or share it with others, then go ahead and buy it. You'll find a nice new DVD on Ebay at a reasonable price!Read full review
Yes, I would give a star for Meryl Streep who is clearly one of the greatest actors of our time if not of all time. Yes I would give a star for the scenery, actually from the 4 inhabited islands of the Sporades in Greece. And perhaps a 1/2 star each for the pre-teen set which seems to me to be the only group that can reasonably enjoy this movie and the diluted ABBA score (more on this last later). Sophie (the radiant Amanda Seyfried from TV's "Big Love") is to be married to Sky. Donna (Streep), former 60's hippy and member of Donna & The Dynamos, is hosting the big event at her inn on a remote Greek island. Both mother and daughter receive guests in the form of 2 BFFs. Sophie, however, has also read Donna's diary from during her pregnancy with Sophie and discovered 3 possible fathers - Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Harry (Colin Firth) or Bill (Stellan Skarsgard). She secretly invites them each under Donna's name hoping for a grand denumant as one of these men will surely step forward to give Sophie away at the wedding. This is not a classic Shakespearean comedy with lots of mistaken identity, slapstick farce and clever reparte. Donna and her "dynamos" (Christine Barnaski and Julie Walters) look ridiculous and terribly middle-aged, as they squeal and gallivant about in torturous song and dance routines. This is not to deny a place for energy and spunk in middle age. However, most of the scenes are intended to be seductive and sexy, with revealing clothing, gyrations and various sexual innuendo (see Christine Baranski on the beach). Sophie's friends are essentially non-entities after their grand opening scene. Sophie, supposedly 20 and to be married, looks as if she is about 15 years old and acts accordingly in all but a couple of scenes. However, the most embarassing and painful scenes rightfully go to those in which Pierce Brosnan sings. Why the director chose to actually highlight these scenes, particularly the more out-front ballads is beyond imagination. They are simply dreadful and even Brosnan's still devastating handsomeness cannot save absolutely ghastly vocal performances. There is no true dramatic ending. In the end, nothing really happens in this movie at all. The fact that the movie will result in some convenient pairings-off is pretty irrelevant and very unsatisfying. READ NO FURTHER IF YOU WANT WHATEVER SUSPENSE THERE IS.... After much running around and squawking, Donna and Sophie "get each other", Sophie and Sky will travel the world as an unmarried couple, Donna will marry one of her former flings, one of them will come out of the closet, and all best friends will leave as they came with no hint as to their fates. As for the ABBA body of work that inspired this film in the first place, yes, classics such as "Dancing Queen", "S.O.S." and "The Winner Takes It All" are all prominently featured. However, the significant amount of songs which most of us have never heard, remind us that ABBA was first a Swedish band, with mega-hits in Scandinavia that never crossed over to the U.S. Songs such as "Our Last Summer", "Does Your Mother Know", "I Have A Dream" and several others, make up about 1/2 the soundtrack and are almost certainly unknown (and unwelcome) to a large majority of American audiences.Read full review
I was so happy when I received this Mamma Mia set. It has all that you need to watch, listen and a book to look at the pictures. The price was SO good. Also, an added bonus. The boxed set lights up and plays a little music clip when you press the button. I will give these out to a lucky person who goes on my bus trip. We are going to see the production of Mamma Mia. Thanks
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If you love music & film as much as I do, you should love to watch this movie over & over again. The music is great. The story line is great. The acting is great. Meryl Streep is fantastic. It reminds me so much of good times in my life. Most would have to agree with me since it was known to set a new mark as the biggest weekend premiere ever for a movie musical with $27.6 million. Former record holder was Hairspray (2007). In December 2008, Mamma Mia! became the highest grossing film of all time in the UK, smashing the previous record held by Titanic (1997). There is a story too! Donna's daughter Sophie is getting married to the buff guy Sky. Only where's her dad? Sophie's never met him. A sneak-peek at Mom's diary shows Mom had 3 lovers. Talk about threesomes! 3 past lovers Sam, Bill & Harry, 3 close friends Donna & 2 best pals, and Sophie meets up with 2 other young women at the start of the film. Most of all though, this movie was just sheer fun. People were clapping, & laughing to the music and scenery. Rarely have I seen an audience this enthusiastic about a musical. The crowd especially responded well to Meryl & her two cronies (arguably the strongholds of the movie). Also, because I had never seen the musical before, I was amazed (and amused) at the inventive ways in which they managed to incorporate so many ABBA-songs. It is a fact that all of the entire cast performed their own singing. The headliner song in the beginning Super Trooper is actually sung live acappella by the main actresses. In order to capitalize on the popularity of the film, starting August 2008, the film was released in select theaters under "Mamma Mia! The Sing-Along Edition". Like Hairspray, the film had the words of the songs at the bottom of the screen for audience participation. Equally brilliant was the way extras (usually some Greek women) were deployed throughout the movie. The setting was beautifully mesmerizing Greece. The cast delivered with professional expertise. Pierce Brosnan's singing had been a bit criticized, although he did always stay in tune, and he delivers a satisfactory vocal performance rather than dazzling with a polished singing technique. The 4 leads are all wonderful. Julie Walters & Christine Baranski as Streep's two oldest friends are both very fitting. Walters has a particularly funny bit of business in a rubber boat. Baranski has her own knockout number. Amanda Seyfried as Sophie is simply delightful. She sings well, carries the plot and all the emotion which goes with it, & is very easy on the eye. Streep is a revelation. Mamma Mia! was the 1st film to be shot on the new 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios following a fire after Casino Royale (2006) wrapped. The new 59,000 square ft stage was used for song and dance numbers that could not be filmed in the sun in Greece. ABBA's Benny Andersson has a cameo as a piano player on the boat on a pier during Dancing Queen & Bjorn Ulvaeus's cameo is at the very end of the film when Waterloo ends, he is one of the Greek gods seen floating on clouds. The 2 ladies of ABBA (Frida and Agnetha) do not have cameos in the film. Early in pre-production, the producers suggested including a newly written original song for the movie to be eligible for the Academy Awards Original Song Category. However, former band originals Benny & Björn refused to do so. Though Andersson composed some extra score for the film, it was ineligible for the Original Song category since all songs were old.Read full review
i didn't think there was anything wrong with the DVD, it's just that if a professional touring group comes to your town or nearby, if you liked the movie, do yourself and see the live production. I saw it in a major city with an excellent touring group and loved it: so well done, such good singing. The movie does a good job (have to compliment Meryl - didn't know she could pull it off, but she certainly did). if your first exposure was the movie and you really liked it, you'll love a professionally done live production even more. i was in college when ABBA was popular & didn't really have an appreciation for them. but as soon as you hear almost any of their music, you can't help but have your mood lifted.
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