Mamma Mia! Review

Mamma Mia! finally hit the screens, and I couldn't be happier. It is pure joy. A daughter's wedding provokes within her the desire to meet her dad, but there's one catch: she has three possible fathers (Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgård-all good options for a father). So Sophie played by Amanda Seyfried (Karen, my boobs know when it's raining, in Mean Girls) decides to invite all three of them to her wedding on the beautiful Greek island where she lives with her mother, Donna, played by acting goddess Meryl Streep. All three of them come and hi jinx ensue. Donna's friends played by Christine Baranski and Julie Walters arrive for the wedding as well. The movie is chock full of ABBA songs, and the cast mostly pulls them off. Streep's rendition of "Mamma Mia", performed after she realizes the three men she had had conquests with long ago have all arrived in her goat barn, is a wonderful number. She rolls around on a roof and flutters with youthful, giddy, teenage girl excitement, and she gives the song a nervous and excited energy. Another soaring number follows with "Dancing Queen". Filled with dread over the arrival of these men from her past, Baranski and Walters try to remind Streep of all the fun she used to have. They try on her old disco outfits and prance around. Then Streep bursts with excitement and starts jumping on the bed, and the number ends up outside as the women dance and strut across the square. They all dance down to the ocean, local Greek women dropping their work as they pass by to join the train. That's when I felt that rare movie feeling. When a movie just takes you away to another world. This number was so joyous and full of life. It made me smile and for some reason tears started rolling down my face just watching these people have the time of their lives. Well, I'm going to praise one more number and guess who's in it? Yes, shockingly Miss Meryl. As Brosnan tries to proclaim his love to her moments before Sophie's wedding, she emotes with a soulful rendition of "The Winner Takes It All". Donna is just putting everything out there and that moment and Streep does it perfectly without going over the top, but approaching it. The whole cast is great. Seyfried finally gets a starring role as Sophie and she is a wonderful screen presence. When she and Meryl sing "Slipping Through My Fingers" as they get dressed for the wedding, you feel the mother daughter connection, and the song is beautiful. Baranski gets her big number with the funny "Does Your Mother Know?" which she performs to a young guy who has been making advances at her. It's the ultimate cougar anthem and moment in the film. Sophie and her fiance Sky played by Dominic Cooper (purrr-Dakin in The History Boys) have a seductive turned amusing beach number "Lay All Your Love on Me", and Walters gets to show off for one of the possible fathers with a funny "Take A Chance on Me". The movie's humor is funny in very straightforward, obvious ways. Everyone just looks like they are having so much fun and the Greek location is gorgeous. The ending is a typical musical everything tied up nicely and a little too quickly but that is alright because everyone ends up happy. Baranski and Walters are very funny as Donna's two best friends, and the three of them have a great banter and believable relationship (also their "Money, Money, Money" number is very funny). Streep is just wonderful. She really puts herself out there. She is like a little kid. It is a pleasure to watch her laugh, cry, sing, dance, and yell because she gives herself completely to the part. An amazing, stupendous performance. Mamma Mia! is sunny summer musical fun that will make you smile.