Mamma Mia!? More Like "Oy Gevalt!"
I was actually kind of looking forward to seeing the movie version of Mamma Mia!, mostly because of the film's terrific cast. I was a bit deflated when the reviews came out last Friday, but nonetheless resolved to see the movie over the weekend, lest the word-of-mouth sway me too far in either direction.
Well, let's just say that the reviews were overly kind, even the scathing ones. This atrocity sets movie musicals back twenty years. Yes, you'd need to go back to John Huston's bloated "Annie," Richard Attenborough's insipid "A Chorus Line," or Colin Higgins' flaccid "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" to find a movie musical this clumsy, charmless, and just plain painful to sit through.
The worst of the movie's crimes lies in wasting its wonderfully talented cast. Poor Meryl Streep is forced to mug, snort, writhe, and squeal her way through this discomfiting affair. The marvelous Christine Baranski comes off as an awkward mix of Mae West and Frank N. Furter from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." And the otherwise wonderful Julie Walters gives the most over-the-top and painfully frenetic performance in a movie chockablock with same.
The rest of the cast doesn't fare much better, although the young lovers Amanda Seyfreid and Dominic Cooper come off marginally less embarrassing than their more mature co-stars. To say that Pierce Brosnan can't sing would be an understatement. Not since Audrey Hepburn in "Funny Face," or perhaps Vanessa Redgrave in "Camelot," have we heard warbling this forced and tuneless. Stellan Skarsgard somehow manages to maintain his dignity, despite the humiliating business Lloyd gives him in a misguided effort to add life to his songs. And the less said about the normally reliable Colin Firth the better.
How do you make this slate of pros look lame and amateurish? You hire an inexperienced director and a hack writer. Phyllida Lloyd should never be allowed to make another movie. Her enervating mix of hyper-reality and lame musical comedy drains what was an amusing trifle of a stage show of whatever charm to which it might once have laid claim. Her tyro director status makes itself readily apparent in myriad ways, including her use of hackneyed camera tricks. (Example: When the Meryl Streep character first sees her three former suitors, Lloyd has the camera zoom quickly in on each of the men's faces. What is this, "Looney Tunes"? I'm surprised she didn't ask the sound guy to throw a "SPROING!" effect into the soundtrack.)
Screenwriter Catherine Johnson also wrote the book for the stage version of Mamma Mia! To begin with, the plot is stolen from Alan Jay Lerner's little-known musical Carmelina. (Admittedly, Lerner himself stole the story from the movie "Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell", although he denied it to his dying day.) But more important, there's no credible drama, no believable emotion, and no genuine wit to be had anywhere in the script. But somehow the show works, whereas the movie holds an unflattering light up to the holes in the plot, the dearth of humor, and the lack of character development. And Anthony van Laast's choreography, which on stage was passable, here looks like something out of a local PTA talent show.
Normally, I'll buy the DVD to pretty much any movie musical, if only to help prove that there's a market for this stuff. However, I would sooner endure a colonoscopy and a root canal simultaneously than suffer through the pain of Mamma Mia! ever again.
Wowie! I am shocked. I had the *exact opposite experience* with this film. I was expecting to only get enjoyment laughing *at* this film. But long about the Money, Money number, I was surprised to find myself getting swept up in the utter nonsense. I loved Streep's entirely unselfconscious spazzy performance. And Julie Walters had me in stitches! For me, this was the perfect summer movie and I left feeling really great.
Posted by: Scot Colford | July 20, 2008 at 07:52 PM
Yeah, go figure, huh Scot? But I was pretty unreserved and unequivocal in my detestation, as my review no doubt conveys. I can only hope that the upcoming film version of Nine revives my faith in the movie musical. Despite the stellar female cast, I have grave doubts about Daniel Day Lewis.
Posted by: chris caggiano | July 20, 2008 at 09:56 PM
I liked it, too! It's not a great work of art, but I just thought it was fun and a nice diversion on a hot day. And the other people in the theatre seemed to be enjoying it. Although I didn't conduct a survey or anything! But I liked the music, I liked the dancing, there were some funny moments and I love Meryl Streep. Plus, Dominic Cooper is really cute! (I think that was his main job in the movie, to be cute).
Posted by: Esther | July 21, 2008 at 12:38 AM
Was this movie supposed to hold any substantial artistic integrity in the first place?
Don't treat it like Burton's SWEENEY or even Marshall's CHICAGO. It's a fun cheesy movie... and it's Abba.
The movie closed at $27 million from friday and saturday alone. that's amazing! It's insanely popular and people love it.
I didn't really like it but it was fine enough. I personally loved Julie Walers.
Posted by: TP | July 21, 2008 at 01:32 AM
I love cheesy fun. But even cheesy fun needs to be well made. And this movie isn't. Just because the movie has limited ambitions doesn't mean it gets a pass on artistic quality.
And the box-office take has nothing to do with the quality of the movie. If it did, Sylvester Stallone wouldn't be a rich man.
Posted by: chris caggiano | July 21, 2008 at 08:48 AM
The more successful movie musicals do in the box office, the more movie musicals get made.
It's that simple.
Posted by: TP | July 21, 2008 at 11:21 PM
No, TP, it's not that simple. I'm as interested as anybody else in seeing more movie musicals. But not at the expense of quality, no matter how much money a movie makes. I will accede that there are lots of people who liked the Mamma Mia movie. I didn't. I really wanted to, but I just didn't.
And, yes, if the movie does well it will mean more movie musicals. And after the box office disasters of Rent, The Producers, and Phantom, the genre needed a shot in the arm. But Hairspray, Dreamgirls, and Sweeney Todd did much better, so I don't think movie musicals are in any immmediate danger.
Posted by: chris caggiano | July 21, 2008 at 11:59 PM
Personally I enjoyed the movie. Mostly because it was cheesy, endearing and fun. I think most of the movie's faults, however, stem from the original musical rather than terrible movie-making skills.
And Pierce Brosnan was awful, not only the singing but the acting too. They didn't need another big name in the role. They should have found someone more interesting. (Gerard Butler still stands as my number one worst singer in a movie musical tho in POTO).
However, Meryl Streep I thought had some amazing moments. What did you think of "The Winner Takes It All" scene? Even if the rest of the movie is a write off I thought the scene was moving, emotional and brilliantly acted. (other then Pierce Brosnan screaming "Donna!" amidst the crashing waves, ugh..)
Posted by: Alex | July 23, 2008 at 02:24 AM
I've got to give you this one. I saw the movie up in VT with the girls over the weekend. (Actually we got split up because the shows were sold out - which is just as well because I wouldn't have wanted to hear the reaction from one of the women in Group #1) I politely said it was "fun for the most part, but there were definitely some moments when 'hokey' went over the top". First of all, with my appreciation of cute and fun, over the top is difficult. Yet they managed - with every group dance number and about every other song.
As far as Pearce Brosnan's singing, I never want to hear another complaint of my voice...and I don't take it to the silver screen.
As usual, your musical analysis is insightful and brilliant.
Lillian
PS - This review was on the little msn pop-up boxes I told you about, so you are truly making friends everywhere!
Posted by: Lillian (AKA the antiquated one) | July 23, 2008 at 08:41 AM
Alex,
Sure, Meryl had her moments. She's Meryl. And "Winner Takes it All" was one of them. I also thought she was particularly moving in the scene where she gets the daughter ready for the wedding. But overall, the movie, to me, was an irredeemable mess. I wanted to like it, and I wanted to have fun. But for me the fun has to be done well, and here it wasn't.
Posted by: chris caggiano | July 23, 2008 at 09:47 AM
I love my Lillian. Even when she doesn't agree with me. Fortunately, she usually does. That's what 20 years of operant conditioning will get you. [cue mad scientist laugh]
Posted by: chris caggiano | July 23, 2008 at 09:52 AM
A colonoscopy is not nearly as bad as a root canal, at least in my opinion. But Mamma Mia was pretty bad!
-neil d.
Posted by: Neil Dugas | September 03, 2008 at 01:52 PM