Mamma Mia!

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Other

I never thought I'd enjoy "Mamma Mia! The Movie" so much that I have to see it three times with Ruel, my best friend. I even told my father to see it (and he and my uncle watched it, too! And they liked it!) Yes, I admit it, I saw it three times and I bought the soundtrack and will buy the dvd once it's out in the market.

The movie tells about Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) and her quest to find her father on the eve of her wedding, without really thinking of the repercussions it will bring to her mother Donna (Meryl Streep). The music of ABBA was used ingeniously as a device to tell the story.

While other movies tried the same route by incorporating existing pop music in telling the story, (thereby making it a movie musical, examples are "Moulin Rouge" and "Across the Universe"), "Mamma Mia!" proves to be a much better execution than the others.

The movie was fun all throughout. The acting was great! Meryl Streep delivers the goods (her best scene for me was when Sophie asks her to give her away on her wedding day--"Slipping Through My Fingers"; others might disagree with me and they will say it's "The Winner Takes It All" scene). Amanda as Sophie played the role unaffectedly; you feel her eagerness to really find out who her father is. Some critics say that a star is born in Amanda Seyfried.

Now, for the singing. All of them did well. Colin Firth was a revelation. "Our Last Summer" was beautifully sung. Pierce Brosnan needs to take singing lessons (hehehehe) although when he sang "When All Is Said and Done", he's much more relaxed. I think, Brosnan was doing voice acting to sing out "S.O.S." The other actors were great! Christine Baranski and Julie Walters blended well with Meryl in "Super Trouper". And yes, aside from being a great actress, Meryl Streep is great in singing too! (One review even went as far as saying, "What can't she do well?")

Phyllida Lloyd who directed the play helmed the movie version. She still needs to improve her shots because some of the scenes were defocused. It would have been nice to see some of the choreography but Lloyd didn't show much of it (I guess we have to watch the play!). But then, this is Lloyd's directorial debut and I just think she did just fine. Heck, the movie has beaten "Hairspray" in terms of box office return, so what more can a first-timer ask for? :-)

Anyway, here's hoping that a local theater company mount this musical. Calling Rep or Stages! Or perhaps New Voice Company? At any rate, I will watch it if it ever gets staged here in the country.