I Can Chat With You Baby, Flirt A Little Maybe (Mamma Mia! (DVD))

Member Name: JayHall1991

Product:	Mamma Mia! (DVD)
Date:	25/08/08 (105 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fun, Fun, Fun

Disadvantages: Dodgy Plot, Not Especially Well Crafted

Sophie Sheridan is blissfully happy; she has found the man of her dreams, lives in a quaint Greek village, has her two best friends by her side and is about to get married in a huge ceremony. There's just one catch; she wants her father to give her away... and her father could be one of three men. So as her mother, Donna, is busy maintaining their dilapidated Greek hotel with her two best friends her daughter invites the three potential fathers..... Without telling her mother. As identities are discovered and relationships built... the energy of ABBA is ignited in them all, making for a very vocal wedding.

Mamma Mia is a big, dumb, funny, exciting Hollywood musical filled with hilariously hammy performances and elaborate musical numbers; it overcomes the occasional misstep with a smile and a dance. It's a zany, colourful treat which should appeal to even the most ardent of ABBA haters (of which I class myself) due to the fun screenplay and fluid/elegant direction. The central premise gives the film genuine heart whilst the overall choreography is exciting and energetic. Despite a slow start the film grows to a satisfying and high-energy conclusion and the film's beautiful setting and visuals are appealing enough to become characters in their own right. It's complete feel-good fantasy that manages to keep up a crowd friendly pace and throws in some clever plot twists that stop things from growing stale. It's a toe tapping treat, one which is sure to get ABBA fans dusting off their platform and dancing in the cinema aisles.

The main reason that Mamma Mia works, even when it shouldn't really, is that it is enormous fun - it's silly and relishes the poppy nature of the music and revels in the unrealistic nature of the screenplay. It's joyful and exuberant, colourful and rhythmic with a few lovely messages about finding yourself, mending a broken heart and finding the music in all situations. It's got musical flowing through its veins, and this reveals itself in the impressive dance sequences and exceptionally bright visuals. Everyone seems to be having huge amounts of fun and that comes across to the audience; it genuinely brings a smile to your face and the giddy finale is funny/heart-warming enough to make the film very memorable. It does help that the whole thing is very funny - everything has a witty, cynical edge which stops it from becoming too saccharine. The comedy is made funnier by the occasional dramatic moments, all of which are played out brilliantly, and the screenplay keeps its tongue firmly in cheek throughout. The director shows a good knowledge of comic timing, making many of the flatter jokes seem seamless and funny. The premise, which could have been a little contrived, is mined for comedic gold whilst the various sub-plots which run throughout are cleverly handled. In fact, it is Mamma Mia's keen grip on its own ridiculousness that keeps it from falling into familiar and dull territory.

The crew are extremely successful in amercing the show into the real world - stopping that dreadful stage-iness hat can plague Broadway adaptions - but it is never particularly well crafted, or entirely convincing. It's a little clumsy and unsure of itself, stumbling when it is asked to pushed the plot any further and failing to capitalise on the truly touching dynamic between the two youngest leads. And it is relentlessly, unashamedly poppy - it demands your affections, without really earning them, and the long onslaught of songs can, at least to a non-ABBA fan, get a little over-the-top. The choreography, though impressive in scale, can look a little clunky thanks to the sheer number of people involved and the plot gets lost in amongst the razzle-dazzle by the half way point. But none of this seems to matter as the whole film is imbued with Great Spirit, like a fighter losing a match, just when it gets irritating it gets another burst of energy and charms you all over again. It's all so very entertaining - it knows that it is fluff and embraces it, it's an excuse to exercise some nostalgia, and if nothing else it is sure to put a spring in you step. It's a charmer through and through, so despite the fact that the plot is sillier than any in recent memory, it succeeds - on sheer will alone.

Despite my hatred of most ABBA hits, I felt that the music here genuinely helped the story along and added humour and colour to the proceedings. They fit in with the plot perfectly and are just silly enough to get a few chuckles from the audience. It encourages audience participation (believe me, you will hear voices coming from all-over the cinema) and is cleverly changed, so as not to be too annoying. 'Does Your Mother Know' is brilliantly played for sexy laughs, whilst 'Take a Chance on me' gives Julia Walters the chance to be truly hilarious and hammy. Some of the more popular hits go by without making much of an impact; 'Money, Money, Money' seems completely, and oddly out of place and 'Gimme, Gimme, Gimme' just comes off as whiny but for the most part they are all good fun and orchestrated very well. There are also some more poignant songs that add emotional weight to the film, the most obvious being 'The Winner Takes It All' which allows Meryl Streep to let loose and tug at your heart, slowly revealing the emotional scars and past regrets of her character. However, Pierce Brosnan is a truly terrible singer and it makes him kind of charmingly horrendous - but he still pretty much destroys any song he's involved in.

Everyone involved is great at tapping into the unique and dun energy of the material; Meryl Streep is a typically reliable leading lady, offering resonance and joy to the role whilst bring a little humanity to the outlandish Donna. She can be a little over-the-top, she is obviously trying very hard to show that she is having fun, but she brings the whole film together with her strong presence. Amanda Seyfried is a radiant and lovely young lead; bringing such fun and passion to the role of Donna's daughter - bring a lot of emotion to her characters search to find her identity. Christine Baraksi is fun, but Julia Walter's shows amazing comic timing and a fresh energy and sophistication to the film - she chews the scenery royally and gets the biggest laughs out of everyone. Pierce Brosnan is a dreadful singer, but fairly good-fun as Sam, one of the three potential fathers and Colin Firth plays his usual affable goon.

Overall Mamma Mia is a surprising, hilarious, sensual, visually arresting musical which is a huge amount of fun. When I think back to watching it; I can only remember the feeling it left me with - a strange sort of joy and as people around me clapped, cheered and sang along I felt the sudden urge to join them. It's probably the most fun I have had at a multiplex - and it's worth going, just to see the legions of fans boogying on down with Streep, Walters and Brosnan.

Summary: A Fun, Energetic Hollywood Musical