168. Mama Mia!; movie review

MAMA MIA!
Cert PG
104 mins
BBFC advice: Contains mild bad language, sex references

It was the film the critics loathed and the public loved. Mama Mia! was a musical cinema phenomenon even though some of its leading actors couldn't sing.
Ten years on and it prompts a tinge of sadness (it was a favourite of Mrs W's sister who is no longer with us) but still makes us laugh.
Mrs W and I sat down to revisit Phyllida Lloyd's film because it had appeared briefly in cinemas a month ago, presumably as a preamble to its much publicised summer sequel.
And, despite its glaring flaws, it is easy to see why the graduation from stage to screen was so adored.
Much of Mama Mia!'s skill is down to the adaptation of a storyline, based around Abba songs (there are even a couple which we didn't remember or recognise).
Linked to these classic tunes, is the tale of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), a 20-year-old bride-to-be who doesn't know who her father is.
She has been brought up on a beautiful Greek island by her mum (Meryl Streep) who refuses to say who's the daddy.
Thus, Sophie gleans from her mum's diaries that it could be one of a trio of chaps, so invites all three (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård) without telling her.
Chaos and fun ensues in equal measure, heightened by the appearance of two of the best friends (Julie Walters and Christine Baranski) of the mother-of-the-bride.
The story is patchy but there are some funny moments (usually inspired by Walters) and the songs are great.
Well, in the right hands they are. Seyfried is a proper singer, Streep can just about et away with it, as do Walters and Baranski but Firth and Brosnan are lamentable.
I can't imagine how bad Brosnan must have been originally if this is his studio-enhanced voice.
Unfortunately, it is so poor it becomes a distraction from a film which is a lot of fun and sets us up nicely for the next round.

Reasons to watch: Classic feelgood film
Reasons to avoid: Ah, the not-so-high-quality singing

Laughs: Seven
Jumps: None
Vomit:  None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 8/10

Director quote - Phyllida Lloyd: "I knew that unlike a lot of other stage musicals we had that advantage that we already were a location; we already had Greece. A lot of stage shows have a lot more difficulty finding a life on screen."

The big question - Why didn't they hire stronger singers?

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