Film Review: Mamma Mia!
I just saw the movie, Mamma Mia! with my niece and sister-in-law yesterday. I must say this movie was very good. It had lots of singing-dancing. Not too mention, it was fun, silly, and just had a great casting all-around.I didn't think I'd see this movie as I've never seen the broadway stage play version nor was I into ABBA's music. Though I'm very familiar with 2 of their popular hit songs such as the film title track, "Mamma Mia!" and "Dancing Queen." Other than those 2 songs I don't know or haven't heard any other ABBA songs, lol.
Anyway, I did see it as my 4-year-old niece wanted to see it with me. Who knew a 4-year-old wanted to see an adult musical film? I thought she was only into Hannah Montana, lol. But then, again, she's very mature for such as very young age. She loves listening to Journey songs (and can sing their new songs in order from their new album Revelation, not too mention the old songs such as "Faithfully" and "Open Arms" better than my brother, her Dad could, lol). So, we went to see it yesterday and was pleasantly suprised how wonderful and fun to watch this film was.
Here's my review of this film...
starring: Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Christine Baranski, and Julie Walters.
Brief Synopsis:
The story of a bride-to-be trying to find her real father told using hit songs by the popular '70s group ABBA.
My Mamma Mia! Review:
This movie was simply brilliant and fun to watch for such a campy musical film. Since, I've been into Bollywood Films mood, most recently. It helped in the musical parts for me, as I was prepared for all the singing and dancing in this film...though in a much grander Hollywood style kind of way. I didn't know what to expect nor did I even read the reviews for this film other than a few people I know who saw it told me that, it was a wonderful film and I'll love and enjoy watching it, if I do. So very glad I did as it was surprisingly brilliant! Everything about this movie was great. The casting was brilliant most esp. Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried as Donna and Sophie (mother and daughter), who leads the superb cast. Didn't know both could sing and dance esp. 
Amanda Seyfried. I always remembered her as this hilarious girl named Karen, one of "The Plastics" in Mean Girls (who thinks she was a psychic with a fifth sense and has "ESPN" about predicting weather, haha!) Amanda here was really good, cute and fun to watch. Her singing was 
suprisingly very good as well. Meryl Streep, on the other hand was great (as does her singing) as her mother, Donna. Her perfomance, as always, was just wow!...amazing! Her performance of "The Winner Takes It All" song was great, but I thought it was a bit too long, lol. She was so funny in this movie too. 
I must say, Meryl and Amanda as mother and daughter (Donna and Sophie) were perfectly cast in this movie with a suprisingly uncanny similarity in both looks and personality. They sure were convincing as mother and daughter. The rest of the cast were brilliant as well. Pierce Brosnan was hilarious esp. his awful singing (I prefer his easy on the eyes looks than his singing), lol. Colin Firth too was funny, though he doesn't have much screen-time here. Still, he 
was good in his part. Christine Baranski was pretty hilarious (as always) as Tanya, one of Donna's best friends. She made me laughed a lot. Julie Walters as Rosie (another friend of Donna) almost steals the the entire film with her hilarious wit, and funny one-liners. She had me had me cracking up a lot (as well as pretty much everyone, which was surprising that there were still a lot of people watching even after almost a month since its released, at the theater watching this movie) with every scene she was on with Meryl and Christine...and pretty much all her scenes. I didn't even recognized that she was the same actress who played Anne Hathaway's mother, Mrs. Austen in Becoming Jane (which she was brilliant and funny as well) till almost towards the end of this movie. 
She looked so different here (guess since she looks more modern and not in a period costume and look in this one) and I kept thinking she looked familiar. Which movie have I seen her? lol. Her performance of "Take a Chance on Me" towards the end was both fantastic and funny at the same time. I actually loved all the singing and dancing in this movie. They were silly, fun, interesting, funny, and just wonderful to watch. It was hilarious to watch how the background people in this movie reacted to what the main characters say and do in the story and joined them with their singing and dancing. That was very clever of the filmmakers to do this and get everyone involved. Like they were part of the story and the singing and dancing as well. They just fit in with the main characters so brilliantly. Kudus to the director and cast and crew for such a terrific job on the singing/dancing parts. Also, I was surprised how there were so many singing and dancing here from the beginning to the end...and here I thought Bollywood films had too many of those, lol. This movie had even several more random (and out of the blue song and dance performances...surprising you, haha!) elaborate singing and dancing than these Bollywood Films I've seen. Though unlike pretty much most Bollywood films, this film was brilliantly edited and only run 108 min. long. 
They didn't seem too long or too short, in my opinion...just the right length of time. They balanced both singing-dancing and dialogue here without making the audience wondered how long this movie was going to end. I didn't even noticed the time as I was too busy watching, laughing, and being entertained by the fun singing and dancing and all-around great acting by the cast. Hindi filmmakers should take note on this, esp. with the length of time in their movies, lol. I must say this movie left me uplifted and pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed watching it. It was a lot of fun, very funny, and such wonderful film to watch. Not too mention, It got me and my 4-year-old niece singing, "Mamma Mia!" after we saw this movie, haha! The songs were so catchy esp. that title song and "Dancing Queen." Overall, fantastic and fun movie to watch. Visually stunning. Outstanding cast. Awesome Music. And great song and dance performances by entire cast. A happy ending, though not what you expect, but still a happy ending nonetheless.I highly recommend this movie for everyone who wants to see a fun, funny, and wonderful film that everyone in your family can watch (young and old). This one's for you, esp. if you love musical films. You'll love and enjoy it as much as I did.
My Mamma Mia! Film Rating:
! (10/10; A+)
Comments