Oh Mamma Mia, It's "Mamma Mia!"
David Edelstein Catches The ABBA Musical, And Lives To Tell The Tale
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Meryl Streep IS the dancing queen, along with Christine Baranski, Julie Walters and friends, in the ABBA musical "Mamma Mia!" (Universal Pictures)
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Photo Essay
"Mamma Mia!"
Meryl Streep leads an all-star cast in song and dance to bring ABBA's mega musical to the movies
Like many people - billions, it seems - I've always had a soft spot for the songs of the Swedish group ABBA, even though they're sort of like Supremes numbers if the composer and lyricist were lobotomized and the singers learned English phonetically.
They're hits because it takes too much effort to get them out of your head!
No, that's unfair. At their best, in "Take a Chance on Me" and "Dancing Queen," they're ecstatically mindless - transcendental pop.
But hearing ABBA onscreen in a film directed by someone who doesn't know how to direct a film, sung by non-singers and danced by non-dancers, and featuring Meryl Streep trying to look as if she's just having the best time, is like being trapped in a sensory deprivation tank … except the radio is blasting and you can't-make-it-stop.
The movie is set in what travel guides call a "sun-drenched" Greek island, where Streep is a single mom with a golden halo and does so much fake laughing she must have had hits of nitrous oxide between takes.
Golden girl Amanda Seyfried plays her 20-year-old daughter, who's about to get married and wants to know which of the three men her mom had sex with the summer before she was born is her dad. They are Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgaard and Pierce Brosnan, whose voice in song is the closest a human has come to a water buffalo.
None of those ABBA hits have anything to do with the plot: They're generic, shoehorned in, and when the characters sing they don't reveal more of themselves. They become more simple-minded.
Which shouldn't matter, right? It didn't on stage, where you could surrender to the singing and dancing (except the dancing here is jaw-droppingly lame; it's all skipping along cliff paths waving arms).
Amanda Seyfried is a radiant object and can sing. And Streep gives herself to the songs. I saw her do stage musicals in her twenties; she has a good voice and knows how to put it over.
But numbers as terrible as "The Winner Takes It All" require a certain lack of wit that this great actress, try as she might, can't muster.
See "Mamma Mia!" if you're prepared to work very hard to achieve a state of anti-enlightenment.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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See all 74 CommentsMamma Mia is a fun movie that keeps the audience laughing and swinging to all its songs during the movie. Compared to some of the *** movies that have come out lately, movies with violence, *** and death Mamma Via is a breath of fresh air.
Tell Edelstein he missed the mark on this one...
Or as some reviewers have said, so brilliant she should get an Oscar for it - i guess it depends on how old bitter and burnt out you are.
Funny movie though :)
for that part. All in all, everyone in my theater love it!
Thank You
I am not sure of Mr. Edelstein''s age, but it might explain how he could be so off the mark about Mamma Mia! I had the pleasure of watching the movie on Friday evening in a very crowded Manhattan theater filled with people who could not help moving and singing to the music, laughing at the "campy" jokes, clapping from time to time, and soaking up the beautiful scenery. The young new female star was a delight to look at and listen to, Meryl Streep continues to show us that she can do anything, and so what if Pierce Brosnan isn''t Mario Lanza! He wasn''t supposed to be. I saw the play as well (loved it) and just loved the movie. It was refreshing, and uplifting to come out of the theater smiling, happy, and singing those ABBA songs for the rest of the evening. I can''t wait to see it again. Mr. Edelstein, you need to work very hard to look beyond your distress and learn how to love life a little more! Mamma Mia!
I am not sure of Mr. Edelstein''s age, but it might explain how he could be so off the mark about Mamma Mia! I had the pleasure of watching the movie on Friday evening in a very crowded Manhattan theater filled with people who could not help moving and singing to the music, laughing at the "campy" jokes, clapping from time to time, and soaking up the beautiful scenery. The young new female star was a delight to look at and listen to, Meryl Streep continues to show us that she can do anything, and so what if Pierce Brosnan isn''t Mario Lanza! He wasn''t supposed to be. I saw the play as well (loved it) and just loved the movie. It was refreshing, and uplifting to come out of the theater smiling, happy, and singing those ABBA songs for the rest of the evening. I can''t wait to see it again. Mr. Edelstein, you need to work very hard to look beyond your distress and learn how to love life a little more! Mamma Mia!
Shame on him. It was certainly a "feel good" movie. Everyone in the film seemed to really be having a good time, and that affected the audience. People in the theater were dancing in their seats and singing along with the music. Unrealistic ... probably, but come on, no more unrealistic than a Journey to the Center of the Earth (in 3D no less) or Wall-e the hero robot. Lighten up Mr. Edelstein. Many many of us thouroughly enjoyed it and droves more will, in spite of your small-minded opinion.
I give Mamma Mia an A and Edelstein a D-.
Maybe it''s time to grow up...you''re still collegiate.
But I''ll look forward to watching you mature.
I couldn''t find one bad thing about this movie. The cast was great and really meshed. The singing and dance scenes were awesome!! I especially loved the end just before the credits, when the gals came out again for another sone and then the 3 "dad''s" came out and joined them for another. It was a total SCREAM!!
Overall, I give this movie 4 1/2 stars out of 5 and dub it a total success. As for this reviewer, David something...I think he needs to lighten up and enjoy life a bit more. You can''s psycho anylize every little thing in life. So, loose up that tie, unbutton that shirt, grab a beer and RELAX Mister!! Then go and see this movie again and then you''ll understand how and why the audience loves it so much!! I smell some Oscar Nominations coming up!!!
Yes, there was alot wrong with the movie, actors not right for parts, couldnt sing couldn''t dance I could go on and on BUT I loved the movie, ABBA songs, Greece (that backdrop), Meryl, Pierce and I had a great time, dancing and singing in my seat!. It was so refreshing to walk out of a movie singing /dancing with a smile on my face. In light of this rotten economy, war, housing crisis, food you can''t eat or food you can''t afford, and should I even mention gas. It was wonderful on a hot summer afternoon to travel to Greece and for almost 2 hours, I was there with them. I could almost smell and taste the ocean. The reviewer should go watch his sad, bloody, special effects movie and leave ABBA alone!
Yes, there was alot wrong with the movie, actors not right for parts, couldnt sing couldn''t dance I could go on and on BUT I loved the movie, ABBA songs, Greece (that backdrop), Meryl, Pierce and I had a great time, dancing and singing in my seat!. It was so refreshing to walk out of a movie singing /dancing with a smile on my face. In light of this rotten economy, war, housing crisis, food you can''t eat or food you can''t afford, and should I even mention gas. It was wonderful on a hot summer afternoon to travel to Greece and for almost 2 hours, I was there with them. I could almost smell and taste the ocean. The reviewer should go watch his sad, bloody, special effects movie and leave ABBA alone!
Yes, there was alot wrong with the movie, actors not right for parts, couldnt sing couldn''t dance I could go on and on BUT I loved the movie, ABBA songs, Greece (that backdrop), Meryl, Pierce and I had a great time, dancing and singing in my seat!. It was so refreshing to walk out of a movie singing /dancing with a smile on my face. In light of this rotten economy, war, housing crisis, food you can''t eat or food you can''t afford, and should I even mention gas. It was wonderful on a hot summer afternoon to travel to Greece and for almost 2 hours, I was there with them. I could almost smell and taste the ocean. The reviewer should go watch his sad, bloody, speacial effects movie and leave ABBA alone!
Yes, there was alot wrong with the movie, actors not right for parts, couldnt sing couldn''t dance I could go on and on BUT I loved the movie, ABBA songs, Greece (that backdrop), Meryl, Pierce and I had a great time, dancing and singing in my seat!. It was so refreshing to walk out of a movie singing /dancing with a smile on my face. In light of this rotten economy, war, housing crisis, food you can''t eat or food you can''t afford, and should I even mention gas. It was wonderful on a hot summer afternoon to travel to Greece and for almost 2 hours, I was there with them. I could almost smell and taste the ocean. The reviewer should go watch his sad, bloody, speacial effects movie and leave ABBA alone!
Our family long ago realized we should not pay attention to the critics. Thank goodness the public are disregarding the cynics. I want to thank all those involved in getting the play to our local theater with the wonderful cast, joyful and in some cases, thought provoking music, and the beautiful Greece scenery. I''ve been there and it made me wish I had had more time. It was wonderful to leave the theater in such an uplifted and positive state of mind.
You didn''t get it, but that is because you have XY chromosomes and not XX. The scene of Dancing Queen was very symbolic. It was a reminder that women should not lose sight of having fun no matter their age and that we are all queens. Stick to the testosterone flicks and let a woman take over the chick flicks. You will never get them.
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