Mamma Mia!

I’ve always wanted my life to be a musical. For my friends and lover to break out into song during emotional moments of my rollercoaster life would make it all the better. And in musicals, all that messy stuff always works itself out right before the ending.

So when MAMMA MIA came out as a movie, I was pumped. 70’s ABBA music? Meryl Streep? Colin Firth? Greece? How could this be anything but AWESOME?

I discovered that I could never hate a musical. The singing always lifts my spirit, no matter how ridiculous. I’ve seen the live musical, and I loved it. The film could never live up to that, but it does have its own benefits.

If you’ve never heard the story before, it’s about Sophie (played by Amanda Seyfried–who CAN sing) who is about to get married, and wants her father to walk her down the aisle. The only problem is that she is not sure who her daddy is because her mom (Meryl Streep–whose amazing acting masks the fact that she can’t sing) slept with three different men around the time of Sophie’s conception. So, Sophie invites the three men (Colin Firth–who can sort of sing; Stellan Skarsgard–who doesn’t sing; and Peirce Brosnan–who should NOT be allowed to sing) to her wedding in order to find out who really is her father.

 While the singing is obviously not up to par with the musical, the scenery makes up for it. Shot in Greece, the cliffs and water and beaches are breathtaking. The camera work takes full advantage of the picturesque locations.

I’m glad I saw it. Heck, I’d even buy it because it makes me feel that good. Life (and film) really is better in song.