Take a Chance on This Film... [; )

Rating: 9/10 (21 July 2008)

Of the choices available this weekend I desperately wanted to see something that would be fun. I cast my vote for this with hopeful expectations based mainly on my impressions from the trailers.
I have to say that the result was I loved this film. I found myself smiling a lot and was very pleasantly serenaded by a number of nearby female voices in the theater singing along with the film; in itself a completely unique experience for me. Of the tens of thousands of films I've seen this spontaneously expressed joy was a first.
I liked the sets and scenery, not spectacular by any means but pleasant. There was one scene that was very beautiful shot in Skopelos, Greece having to do with ... well, you'll just have to see for yourselves. The costumes and makeup were also very complimentary to the film, the makeup being surprisingly sparse but effective. The young female lead, Amanda Seyfried, was stunningly effective in the role of Sophie and seemed to radiate youthful beauty and exuberance at every turn. It was a real pleasure to watch her on screen. The other leads were perhaps the oddest collection of casting I've seen for a musical since Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin in Paint Your Wagon. Pierce Brosnan had the furthest to reach but acquitted himself admirably, giving the right note to the character still pining for Meryl Streep. Stellan Skarsgård, usually in a far more macho environ, was a surprisingly good addition and so was the splendid Julie Walters who stole a lot of scenery when she was in front of the camera. She was fabulous. Colin Firth gave a surprisingly good turn as one of the fathers-elect but he's usually great in whatever he does. Streep was wonderful as usual, making me like the character with ease. But the memorable standout was still Seyfried. Whether she was singing, dancing or just radiating wholesome beauty, she was worth the price of admission alone.
I suppose one should mention the music but that is anti-climactic considering it's all derived from the incredibly popular work from ABBA. It gave few unreachable challenges to the cast but that was perhaps what enabled such unique casting for a musical.
I can recommend this film unreservedly. It was a lot of fun.