Product Description
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Directed by Phyllida Lloyd. Starring Pierce Brosnan, Julie
Walters, Meryl Streep.
From .co.uk
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The delirious of Meryl Streep leading a river of
multigenerational women singing "Dancing Queen" is one of the
high points of Mamma Mia!, the musical built around the songs of
the hugely popular pop group ABBA. The plot sets in motion when
Sophie (Amanda Seyfried, Mean Girls), daughter of Donna (Streep),
sends a letter to three men, inviting them to her
wedding--because after reading her mother's diary, she suspects
that one of them is her her. When all three arrive at the
Greek island where Donna runs a hotel, Donna flips out and finds
that passions she thought she'd laid aside are coming back to
life. But let's face it, the plot is not the point--it's a
ridiculous contrivance that provides an excuse for the characters
to sing the massive hits of ABBA. Regrettably, first-time film
director Phyllida Lloyd (who directed the original stage
production) has drawn over-the-top performances from everyone
involved, even Streep; every production number hammers its
exuberance into your eyeballs. Which is too bad, because Mamma
Mia! is a rarity: A middle-aged love story. The kids start things
off, but the story is really about Streep and the three guys
(former James Bond Pierce Brosnan, former Mr. Darcy Colin Firth,
and Swedish star Stellan Skarsgard), as well as Donna's best
friends (Christine Baranski, best known from the TV show Cybill,
and Julie Walters, Girls). It's a romantic comedy ed
at the people who were around when all these songs were new, and
that's an age group Hollywood largely ignores. For that alone,
Mamma Mia! deserves to find an audience. --Bret Fetzer
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Synopsis
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Mamma Mia! became a Broadway smash when it hit Broadway back in
2001. With a story framed around the music of the Swedish pop
band Abba, crowds loved its raucous, dance party vibe. Now it
comes to the silver screen, with some truly delightful
performances from the likes of Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan.
It is the story of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), a young woman living
on a picturesque Greek island with her mother, Donna (Streep).
Together, Donna and Sophie run a ramshackle island inn, and they
are in the midst of preparing for Sophie's wedding. As the
wedding approaches, Sophie becomes troubled by the fact that she
has never known her her. She was the result of one of her
mother's summer flings, and her mother has never revealed her
her's identity. When Sophie stumbles upon her mother's diary,
she learns that there are three possible men who could be her
dad. Without telling her mother, she invites all three to her
wedding. When Harry (Colin Firth), Sam (Brosnan), and Bill
(Stellan Skarsgard) all arrive at the same time, Donna is of
course shocked and overwhelmed by seeing her old lovers again
after such a long time. She turns to her two best friends, Tanya
(Christine Baranaki) and Rosie (Julia Walters), for their
support, and vows to just get through the wedding and weekend.
Meanwhile, Sophie spends time with each man, determined to learn
the truth.
Major hi-jinks and confusion ensues, all amidst the utterly
romantic scenery, and the rather irresistible, swelling love
ballads. Streep has a lovely singing voice, and to watch her
throw herself into this whimsical role is truly a delight. She
looks like she is having a ball, and it is hard not to shimmy
along with her. Baranski reliably delivers an over-the-top
showstopper, and Brosnan's tender singing voice makes his
character all the more touching. The film strives to be a
jubilant celebration of mother/daughter relationships and the
love between good friends, and it is hard to resist its many
charms.
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