Cotton candy no good for tummy but sometimes good for heart

Rating: 7/10 (19 July 2008)

I never saw "Mamma Mia!", the play. Never cared one way or the other about ABBA -- though I did enjoy how neatly their music fit "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert." And I understand that in a musical, all you need in the way of a story is just enough to link the production numbers. So I wasn't planning to go see this movie -- until I saw not only was Meryl Streep in it but also Colin Firth and Christine Baranski and Julie Walters and Stellan Skarsgard, and I'm thinking this'll either be a major train wreck or glorious fun.
The story's simple -- as it should be. Girl lives on fantasy island but don't know who daddy is. Invites three likely candidates to her wedding but doesn't tell mom. All three come and chaos ensues...along with big production numbers and lots of joy and laughter after all the tears.
Well -- it wasn't glorious fun, but I left the theater smiling and humming the music. And that's despite Phyllida Lloyd's nearly catastrophic turn as director. Who the hell decided just because somebody's directed a play on a stage they know how to direct a movie? Her clumsiness came damn close to ruining the film...as did the editor, who really must have been on coke at the time or else has a major case of ADD. I think it works better for a musical if you can see the numbers come together as all of a piece and not four-thousand, three-hundred and fifty seven different pieces, like they do on music videos.
But -- and this is the film's saving grace -- the actors barreled right over Ms. Lloyd's mistakes and blasted through the jittery editing to provide performances that can be intoxicating. Meryl was fun and sexy and actually decent as a singer, and Christine and Julie backed her up, bigtime, in the musical numbers -- turning "Dancin' Queen" into an anthem of GRRL power and memories of youth was beautiful. I was shocked at Pierce Brosnan's tinny voice; he's Irish, for pity's sake, and don't ALL Irishmen sing beautifully? But he has charisma to spare and his charm made up for it. Same for Colin Firth and Stellan in thankless roles. It shows what not only talent but experience and professionalism can do with a bad script and characterizations. Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper -- they're pretty and have nice voices, but they still have a lot to learn about commanding a screen.
Overall, however, this was a pleasant experience and I did not want any part of my $12 back. It was like going to a carnival and seeing all the sights and eating too much popcorn and cotton candy and getting a bit of a tummy ache...but having had a joyous time of it all, considering. If you go in with that expectation, you'll have fun, as well.
But there's no way ANYBODY'S ever gonna say this is in the same league as "Singin' In The Rain."