Mamma Mia!

[spicedogs]

I went to see Mamma Mia! What a movie. The acting was superb, the photography was stunning, the music was great, Merle Streep was fantastic, and Pierce Brosnan can’t sing for shit. Sorry ben_munchkin, he sucked. His acting was fine, but I have no idea why they didn’t have somebody dub for him.

The story was insipid, but cute. It was typical Broadway-musical type of movie. Oh, yes, this was a Broadway musical once. It had no deep meaning, but it was fun to watch. Some scenes did not translate well from the stage to the screen, but if you overlook it, you end up enjoying the movie anyway.

There were some cute comedic scenes, but again, not all of them translated well from the stage onto the screen. Some scenes could translate to soft porn. I was not pleased with it. But when I thought it over while riding home in the car, I realized that on stage those scenes would have been funny. What was really missing was the magic that exists while watching a live show unfolding before your eyes. I can’t help being prejudicial here. I am very fond and partial to live theatre. I love watching (and performing in) live musicals. But, as I mentioned earlier, the photography was amazing, stunning, superb, ravishing. There are no adjectives that would describe it. I could watch the film over and over again  just for the photographic effect itself. It was not just the shots of the ocean and the nature around this fictitious island, but the lighting, the colors, the costumes, everything. It didn’t matter that it was filmed on sound stage or the outdoors, the photographer and filmographer should be nominated for an Oscar.

I want to see this movie again. I don’t want to see Stellan Skarsgård’s ass again. It was there for those of you who are interested. He had a good-looking ass for a man of his age. But looking at it was not my cup of tea. However, I did laugh, which was what the director meant to do.

I went to see the movie for Merle Streep, and she didn’t disappoint me. She was the great actor that she is. And can the woman sing. Of course, she has operatic training, but it is always surprising to hear her voice. It certainly was when I went to see A Prairie Home Companion and didn’t know that she can sing.  Besides being a singer, she knows how to dance, and she looked as if she was having fun (which I think that she was). Looking like you are enjoying yourself while singing and dancing in a musical is a must. And she did not disappoint me.

All in all the movie was fantastic. I felt like dancing the in the aisle, and I left feeling good.

Our night was preceded by eating at a Japanese Steak house. I will post pictures in a f-list locked entry.

Comments

[melissaq9.livejournal.com]

I agree with you about Brosnan! When he started singing SOS I began laughing, I just couldn't help it and poor thing he was trying so hard. From that moment every time he opened his mouth to sing our entire theater was cracking up. And Meryl, she is amazing as she has always been. As far as Stellan goes, I was not complaining, lol! Oh, and when they were singing Dancing Queen I wanted to dance around the aisles too! Goodness, now I want to move to Greece!

[spicedogs.livejournal.com]

Goodness, now I want to move to Greece!

Oh, yes the scenery was fabulous and the camera crew knew just how to show it off.

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

I have a picspam coming up of the MM premieres, and some film stills.

I adore Meryl.

[spicedogs.livejournal.com]

Squeee.........

[adlervan.livejournal.com]

i'm seeing this tomorrow and a large part of WHY i want to see it is because of Stellan Skarsgard's ass! :)

[spicedogs.livejournal.com]

LOL. To each his own ass. LOL

[ben-munchkin.livejournal.com]

oh i know his singing is bad ive heard it before. he sings in a film evelyn but he uses his irish accent more. because the film was based in ireland.

aww well i still want to see it. i'll get it on dvd when its out, because i collect all his films

[spicedogs.livejournal.com]

Yes, it is still worth seeing the movie. It was a fabulous movie.

[ms-rubiks.livejournal.com]

Hehe see I thought that Meryl Streep's singing was pretty bad in places. She was good at the fun songs and stuff, but when she was being dramatic she went out of tune a few times and well...My friend James and I didn't think she was great. She had her moments though.

The other thing that I didn't particularly enjoy was the very tenuous link between the songs they sang and what was happening in the film in some places. Like there were some songs that were clearly romantic love songs but were then sang between father and daughter, it was just a little bizarre.

Not a bad little film though :) I think you're right that it would have been better on the stage.

[spicedogs.livejournal.com]

Yes, a lot of musicals fare better on stage.

[xgirl30]

That's very true. (I've never seen Mamma Mia! on the stage so I can't make any comparison with this movie.)
There are also some musicals that are equally good as movies. I've seen Rent on the stage and as a movie and I enjoyed both equally.(My parents also saw both and actually preferred the movie because it made the story a little more understandable for them.)

[xgirl30]

I saw Mamma Mia! last Sunday and I just loved it.
The scenery was just breathtaking and I really enjoyed the music. (I'm probably in the minority but I didn't think Pierce Brosnan's singing was that bad.)