Stars:
***
Rating: PG-13 for sexual
innuendo and mature themes
Run
Time: 1
hour, 43 minutes
Director Phyllida
Lloyd ramps up the kitsch in a delightfully irresistible silver screen version
of the ABBA-ized stage musical of the same name.
Amanda
Seyfried (consummately conflicted polygamist’s daughter of TV’s “Big Love”) is
sweetness and light as a youthful, glowing Sophie, a Greek island inn-keeper’s
daughter on the eve of her fantasy wedding day.
Naturally
there’s a hitch; Sophie won’t feel whole until she’s discovered the true
identity of her real dad. Her amateur sleuthing uncovers mom’s diary of yore
and three potential candidates to walk her down the aisle.
To cover
her bases Sophie secretly invites the entire trio of ex-suitors to her island
nuptials – New York banker Sam (Pierce Brosnan), English stuffed-shirt Harry
(Colin Firth) and erstwhile adventurer Bill (Stellan Skarsgård).
Stress the
A in Awkward as beleaguered mom Donna (Meryl Streep) catches wind of the plan
and faces her buried past head on.
All the
shenanigans are part a sketchy tableau supporting the real star: the music. A
baker’s dozen-plus of toe-tapping ABBA tunes that propel the “narrative”
forward with something akin to manic glee.
Manic as in
laughably lowbrow; manic as in so bad it’s good. Spray-on tans and cougars on
parade? Aargh!. Campy theatrics, herky-jerky camerawork and Busby Berkeley
choreography set on a ridiculously breathtaking island paradise. Whew.
The cast (and
maybe some crew) trip the light fantastic on land and on sea warbling the
iconic ABBA songbook, pulling it off with a sunny sincerity.
Streep not
only carries a tune she can actually sing,
her heartrending “Winner Takes it All” a potent and moving ballad. Co-stars
Julie Walters and Christine Baranski gamely pick up the tempo and they’re not
half-bad.
The guys
get snaps for good sportsmanship. Brosnan in particular gives it a run for the
money – clinging to his pitch with every fiber of his being. Firth and
Skarsgård have less to do but look good doing it.
Seyfried
positively dazzles (that smile!) and her easy chemistry with real-life earth
mom Streep cannot be denied.
Wanna get
away from it all? “Mamma Mia!” is the ultimate summer escape.