Jason KingMamma Mia ($15.50)
July 8th 2008 09:25
Category: No Category
Mamma Mia ($15.50)
OMG OMG OMG OMG - I am still on a high from watching this truly great film! I think I may now be Meryl Streep's number one fan!
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. ~ Jason Buchanan
I was stunned - I never saw the staged musical but when I was young I was a massive Abba fan. I was unsure how Meryl Streep could sing and dance and do something like this but the lady never ceases to amaze me. Is it possible for an actress to be too good, she is unbelievably fabulous in this and absolutely steals the show from nearly everyone. She can sing, check, she can dance, check, she can bounce on a bed like a teenager and do the splits in the air and grab her toes, BIG CHECK. While the cinematography and the setting are fantastical it gets blended away by Mrs Streep. When she is onscreen I found it difficult to look at anything else, hmmmmmmmmm ok, I did have my pupils stuck to Dominic Cooper (Sky) when he's onscreen because, OMG, that body, but besides that Meryl was like a beacon of entertainment.
The story involves a little bit of Greek mythology claiming the Island is where Ahproditie's (Greek Goddess of Love) fountain was and while I think Meryl a goddess in this film she is more of a Saint - the embodiment of St Tula, which I discovered is our Patron Saint of Film. It also states that to be a Saint you must have performed a miracle. Well, Benny Andersson, former ABBA member and co-composer of the songs, calls Meryl Streep "a miracle". Meryl Streep came to Stockholm to do her vocal for the song "The Winner Takes it All". She finished it in one take. It's a done deal - Meryl is a Saint!!
Enough about St Meryl Tula, the rest of the cast: Pierce Brosnan, acts well, still looks amazing at his age but is quite flat when he is singing and you can tell that he is leaving skid marks while singing. He looks SO terrified. This is something all the male cast members claimed. Colin Firth was petrified until he saw Pierce and Stellan Skarsgård's faces. They then realised they could be brothers in petrification and managed to pull it off. Pierce had the most male singing and just gets by. I have to say it was marvelous watching non singing actors perform in this, they really pull it off. Colin Firth was great, Stellan Skarsgård has been growing on me over the years and is great as the adventurer character, Bill. Julie Walters is, as usual, remarkable as Rosie and while Meryl reeks of another Academy Award Julie wafts of Oscar for a supporting role. Christine Baranski is smoldering in this and a great comedic actress but I do find most of her roles similar to the wealthy slutty character she played on Cybil (way back then). But the one scene she dances and sings her way through a bunch of hot men much younger than her she tore the screen up. Amanda Seyfried is a dead ringer for Meryl's on screen daughter and she would have been brilliant if not acting next to Meryl - she is great but constantly over shadowed. Dominic Cooper is well cast and plays his character well. He is best known as one of the leads in the History Boys movie (Dakin) and will soon be much more known after this and the other four films in post production. His part is not much but he is the fiance love interest for Sophie and he is perfectly placed for eye candy that mums, daughters and gay men can drool over. Hehe
Trivia: 1) According to Variety the play's original producer and writer, "were broke when they first tried to put the show together and were even snubbed by the Swedish pop group whose music formed the basis for the show. They are now two of the wealthiest women in England." 2) Based on the hit ABBA single of the same name. Mamma Mia! first opened in London on April, 6th, 1999 at the Prince Edward theater. It had its North American debut at Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre on May 23rd, 2000. The original Toronto cast then moved on to Mamma Mia!'s pre-Broadway tour starting in San Francisco, moving on to Los Angeles, then Chicago. It was while the original Toronto cast was performing in Chicago that Louise Pitre (Donna) and Tina Maddigan (Sophie) were invited to play their same roles in the original Broadway cast, which opened on October 18th, 2001 at the Winter Garden Theater, the former home of Cats. It now has toured in over 140 cities across America. As of April 2007, Mamma Mia has open run productions in: New York, London, Las Vegas, Madrid, Moscow, Stuttgart, Fukuoka (opens May 19th 07) Gothenburg (opening May 9th 07) Essen, also has an US tour and an International tour traveling to cities all over the globe. Mamma Mia! has also played in Melbourne, Australia and Utrecht, The Netherlands. 3) Phyllida Lloyd also directed the original ‘Mamma Mia!’ Broadway Play. 4) Mandy Moore, Amanda Bynes, Rachel McAdams, and Emmy Rossum were all considered for the part of Sophie. 5) ‘Mamma Mia!’ was the first film to be shot on the new 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios following a fire after Casino Royale (2006) wrapped. The new 59,000 sq ft stage was used for song and dance numbers that could not be filmed in the sun in Greece.
If you are male and want massive brownie points then this is the date movie for the wife or girlfriend. If you are female then it's time for an all gals reunion in the post Sex and the City wake. Mum, grab all the gals for road trip to a cinema!! If you're gay - time for a party night and start the dancing and singing in the aisles but NO Lycra dress-ups!!! It's so much fun mixed with romance and may even have grumpy old biker guys tapping their feet under the seats. Worth $15.50
OMG OMG OMG OMG - I am still on a high from watching this truly great film! I think I may now be Meryl Streep's number one fan!
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. ~ Jason Buchanan
I was stunned - I never saw the staged musical but when I was young I was a massive Abba fan. I was unsure how Meryl Streep could sing and dance and do something like this but the lady never ceases to amaze me. Is it possible for an actress to be too good, she is unbelievably fabulous in this and absolutely steals the show from nearly everyone. She can sing, check, she can dance, check, she can bounce on a bed like a teenager and do the splits in the air and grab her toes, BIG CHECK. While the cinematography and the setting are fantastical it gets blended away by Mrs Streep. When she is onscreen I found it difficult to look at anything else, hmmmmmmmmm ok, I did have my pupils stuck to Dominic Cooper (Sky) when he's onscreen because, OMG, that body, but besides that Meryl was like a beacon of entertainment.
The story involves a little bit of Greek mythology claiming the Island is where Ahproditie's (Greek Goddess of Love) fountain was and while I think Meryl a goddess in this film she is more of a Saint - the embodiment of St Tula, which I discovered is our Patron Saint of Film. It also states that to be a Saint you must have performed a miracle. Well, Benny Andersson, former ABBA member and co-composer of the songs, calls Meryl Streep "a miracle". Meryl Streep came to Stockholm to do her vocal for the song "The Winner Takes it All". She finished it in one take. It's a done deal - Meryl is a Saint!!
Enough about St Meryl Tula, the rest of the cast: Pierce Brosnan, acts well, still looks amazing at his age but is quite flat when he is singing and you can tell that he is leaving skid marks while singing. He looks SO terrified. This is something all the male cast members claimed. Colin Firth was petrified until he saw Pierce and Stellan Skarsgård's faces. They then realised they could be brothers in petrification and managed to pull it off. Pierce had the most male singing and just gets by. I have to say it was marvelous watching non singing actors perform in this, they really pull it off. Colin Firth was great, Stellan Skarsgård has been growing on me over the years and is great as the adventurer character, Bill. Julie Walters is, as usual, remarkable as Rosie and while Meryl reeks of another Academy Award Julie wafts of Oscar for a supporting role. Christine Baranski is smoldering in this and a great comedic actress but I do find most of her roles similar to the wealthy slutty character she played on Cybil (way back then). But the one scene she dances and sings her way through a bunch of hot men much younger than her she tore the screen up. Amanda Seyfried is a dead ringer for Meryl's on screen daughter and she would have been brilliant if not acting next to Meryl - she is great but constantly over shadowed. Dominic Cooper is well cast and plays his character well. He is best known as one of the leads in the History Boys movie (Dakin) and will soon be much more known after this and the other four films in post production. His part is not much but he is the fiance love interest for Sophie and he is perfectly placed for eye candy that mums, daughters and gay men can drool over. Hehe
Trivia: 1) According to Variety the play's original producer and writer, "were broke when they first tried to put the show together and were even snubbed by the Swedish pop group whose music formed the basis for the show. They are now two of the wealthiest women in England." 2) Based on the hit ABBA single of the same name. Mamma Mia! first opened in London on April, 6th, 1999 at the Prince Edward theater. It had its North American debut at Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre on May 23rd, 2000. The original Toronto cast then moved on to Mamma Mia!'s pre-Broadway tour starting in San Francisco, moving on to Los Angeles, then Chicago. It was while the original Toronto cast was performing in Chicago that Louise Pitre (Donna) and Tina Maddigan (Sophie) were invited to play their same roles in the original Broadway cast, which opened on October 18th, 2001 at the Winter Garden Theater, the former home of Cats. It now has toured in over 140 cities across America. As of April 2007, Mamma Mia has open run productions in: New York, London, Las Vegas, Madrid, Moscow, Stuttgart, Fukuoka (opens May 19th 07) Gothenburg (opening May 9th 07) Essen, also has an US tour and an International tour traveling to cities all over the globe. Mamma Mia! has also played in Melbourne, Australia and Utrecht, The Netherlands. 3) Phyllida Lloyd also directed the original ‘Mamma Mia!’ Broadway Play. 4) Mandy Moore, Amanda Bynes, Rachel McAdams, and Emmy Rossum were all considered for the part of Sophie. 5) ‘Mamma Mia!’ was the first film to be shot on the new 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios following a fire after Casino Royale (2006) wrapped. The new 59,000 sq ft stage was used for song and dance numbers that could not be filmed in the sun in Greece.
If you are male and want massive brownie points then this is the date movie for the wife or girlfriend. If you are female then it's time for an all gals reunion in the post Sex and the City wake. Mum, grab all the gals for road trip to a cinema!! If you're gay - time for a party night and start the dancing and singing in the aisles but NO Lycra dress-ups!!! It's so much fun mixed with romance and may even have grumpy old biker guys tapping their feet under the seats. Worth $15.50
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Comment by Morgan Bell
Science News
Deep Pencil
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Artist Quirk
its all the "OMG"s that really tipped me over the edge! haha
and theyre promoting the hell out of it, i thought it was surprising that Meryl Streep has actually come to australia to promote a romantic comedy . . . i guess because we are the country that ABBA is the most popular in maybe?
so tell me how would you rate it against other high quality middle-aged comedies like The Banger Sisters or First Wives Club? because i thought it might be along the same lines
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Meryl is on a world tour of promos, Melbourne tomorrow and somewhere like the Netherlands next week and so on.
OK - while it's comedic it's also very romantic and I loved First Wives Club but find them hard to compare. Firstly, it's a musical, secondly I find it very magical and fantasy like. But it has some sensational comedy and in that sense, yes similar, it has a good dose of the British comedy so it is more whole heartedly funny as opposed to cheaper US styled commando comedy. One big bonus is there is no-one you don't like and warms your heart. Crap - I am at it again (making verbal love to the film)!! Yes, Mamma Good.
Comment by AmyHuang
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Comment by Lara M
Love Speaks
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It was far from it! The songs were worked into the script well, and we all had a lot of fun
Comment by Bianca S
Great review Jason...
Comment by Natalie 2
My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog
I CAN"T WAIT!!!
I am a huge Meryl Streep fan, and I LOVE Colin Firth.
Yay for Musicals!!!
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Amy: Give it a watch - if you hate it I will send you a free ticket to something! Phantom is ok - some brilliant acting at the ones I saw and a pretty cool story but it's been done to death and last time I saw a production I kind of yawned. Shhhhhhhh
Lara: I am so JEALOUS!! Hope you like the film!
Bianca: Post your link to your review and hope you love it too!
Natalie: You will love it regardless! Let me know what you think!!
Thanks Gals.
Have a great week!