Won me over by the end

Rating: 7/10 (4 August 2008)

I'm a Meryl Streep fan. I remember ABBA songs from my middle school days. So I had to go see this movie. I did, however, go in with some fear and trepidation as I can be a bit of a snob when it comes to movie viewing (according to my husband who likes it all).
It took about half an hour before I didn't start to cringe at the beginning of a song. I wondered about the choreography in certain parts (didn't seem to fit). It was painfully obvious that the story-line was an often times awkward attempt to fit a bunch of ABBA songs together. The editing seemed odd at times. Some of the acting was a bit over-the-top.
All that said, I ended up liking the movie. A lot. Much to my own surprise. Maybe it's because I enjoy Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, and Julie Waters so much. The "Dancing Queen" number by itself was reason to see the film.
It was refreshing to see a lead actress (Streep) actually look her age (over 50). One would normally expect Hollywood to go for the leading lady with the most plastic surgery and not the most talent. Meryl Streep gets big kudos for having the guts to do this movie, even if it fails in some instances.