Mamma Mia!

Rating: 7/10 (27 October 2008)

"Take a trip down the aisle you'll never forget"
Longing to discover the identity of her true father before she exchanges her wedding vows, the daughter of a once-rebellious single mother secretly invites a trio of paternal candidates to her upcoming wedding in this feature adaptation of the beloved stage musical. Independent-minded single mother Donna (Meryl Streep) has always done her best to raise her spirited daughter, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), while simultaneously running a successful hotel on a small Greek island, but now the time has come for this hardworking mom to finally let go. In just a few days, Sophie will be married, and Donna will stand by bittersweetly as her little girl takes flight. Of course, Donna's lifelong friends Rosie (Julie Walters) and Tanya (Christine Baranski) will both be present at the wedding, but unbeknownst to the mother, Sophie has furtively invited three very special guests of her own. When Sophie walks down the aisle on that fateful day, she wants her father to hand her off. The only problem is that Donna has never revealed the true identity of Sophie's father, leaving the resourceful future bride to narrow the list down to three potential candidates. Now, as three key figures from Donna's past return to the picturesque Mediterranean shores they all walked 20 years prior, one beautiful bride will discover the secret of her past while one lonely mother finds out that it's never too late for a little romance. Phyllida Lloyd, director of both the original London sensation as well as the hit Broadway incarnation, makes her feature directorial debut with this big-screen version of the beloved musical featuring 22 classic ABBA hits. Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, and Dominic Cooper co-star.
Review The gayest movie to have come out this year (and by gay I mean jolly), Mamma Mia! surprisingly, shocked me. 'Shock' might be the right term because first off, I'm not really a fan of ABBA and second, musicals isn't really my cup of tea; but every once in a while, I'm head over heels when a good musical comes my way (Across the Universe and Sweeney Todd comes to mind).
Mamma Mia! told a story: a story of a young woman searching for his real dad in scenic Greece the day before her wedding and they used the music of ABBA as the narrative device. The music is hip, its funky, its catchy and some adults out there might just feel nostalgic listening to the songs they grew up with when they were young.
I'm gonna use the word 'shock' once again as Pierce Brosnan, the man we know and love as Agent 007 belts it out to the tune of the gayest song ever (and by gay I mean jolly). The guy sang, and he sang his heart out. A pretty impressive turn from hard edged spy thrillers to a dancing and singing gay movie. Meryl Streep, also quite the charmer, sang her heart out as well. Newcomer Amanda Seyfried, last time I saw her she was cupping her boobs to predict the weather in Mean Girls also took a mighty impressive turn as the poster girl for the promotion of the movie and quite honestly, she held out on her own. She definitely has the acting (and singing) chops. I'm gonna see more of her in the future.
In its entirety, Mamma Mia! is quite an enjoyable musical ride from start to finish. You wouldn't want to miss it.