Horrey Mamma Mia

Rating: 9/10 (30 June 2010)

My review of Mamma Mia is just like that I can't meet this fabulous musical movie anywhere else. When I saw the musical "Mary Poppins", I was astonished at its special effects with the actors' wonderful songs. On the contrary, Mamma Mia put the high technological special effect aside and is rather faithful in a musical genre. Mamma Mia can be called a joint movie musical by Meryl Streep and lovely and fantastic songs of ABBA. This looks like a marvelous music video. Meryl Streep (Donna) is not a professional singer but her outstanding performance blew my worries far away and Pierce Brosnan (Sam) was seen making lots of effort on his singing as much as he could, so I can tell he must get a thrill in singing and dancing after all. Amanda Seyfried (Sophie) is so adorable that I couldn't turn my eyes away from her. The plot of the film is comical enough to throw your head out and roar with laughter. Sophie, a bride-to-be woman has one dream that is to go to the altar with her father. She happens to find her mother's diary and know that one of three strangers Sam, Harry and Bill might be her father. She invites them secretly to her wedding hoping that her mother Donna could recognize her father among the guests. Donna has trouble in making a living with her dilapidated hotel. While she used to sing with her friends, Rosie and Tanya, she is now a mother worrying her daughter too much. This sounds sad but it is never just a simple tearjerker. While I was watching Mamma Mia, I was astonished at its beautiful and splendid scenery. How could the director, Phyllida Lloyd find the perfect place for this film? The shinning blue sea and a small harbor, the old but lovely hotel and the fantastic winding stairs to the altar on the top of the hill nearby the sea, you can't believe that this is an existing small town in Italy. Even the setting is absolutely brilliant, without the director's amazing job, this film shines like a blue diamond. Apart from the setting, there is a big musical angle too, resulting in a heart beating in almost every scene where the actors sing a song of ABBA. How could the scriptwriter create the story with the songs of ABBA? It is incredible that the songs show exactly the situations and the feelings the characters are facing. The marvelous soundtrack throughout the movie and Meryl Streep stir the audience and without them, Mamma Mia could not make a big hit. Some people say this is just for girls (what is called the chick flick) but is that a big deal? If you really enjoy and feel warm-hearted, that's enough. How many times do you hum after this film? I think this is the best movie to make us go to the karaoke and try to sing a song.