What Happens When You Give a Stage Director a Movie Camera

Rating: 3/10 (27 July 2008)

This colossal misfire of a film should be re-named "Oy!", and its advertising poster should feature Amanda Seyfried slapping her forehead instead of beaming like a starry-eyed bride. Let's be honest - the stage version of "Mamma Mia" wasn't exactly Pulitzer material, but it worked because of enthusiastic performances, great choreography, and inspired staging that got audiences on their feet.
Director Phyllida Lloyd fails to transfer any of this to the big screen. She miscasts virtually every character, she pulls off the nearly impossible feat of making Kastani Beach in Greece look bland, dull, and fuzzy, and she robs the film of the potential for some terrific, infectious musical numbers by incorporating spastic, nausea-inducing camera cuts.
Meryl Streep, God love her, does her best with what she's been given. To her credit, she looks like she's having a blast from beginning to end, even as Lloyd photographs her in the most unflattering light possible, then makes her hop on beds, skulk across rooftops, and jump into the sea. Streep does shine, however, during her rendition of "The Winner Takes it All." Her voice is powerful and moving, and she manages to make us feel for her character for about three minutes.
The other actors don't fare nearly as well. Pierce Brosnan should never, ever be allowed to sing on film again. Stellan Skaarsgard, Colin Firth, Christine Baranski, and Julie Walters appear to be drunk on ouzo in most of their scenes, and Amanda Seyfried, while a competent vocalist (she almost saves the "Lay All Your Love on Me" number), seems to have attended an acting class in which she was taught that screaming while burying your head in your hands equals emoting.
If anything positive can be said about "Mamma Mia," it's that it's nice to see a Hollywood film featuring mostly middle-aged actors. Too bad this is the mess that showcases them.