Mamma Mia! (2008) **½

In a brilliant strategy of counter-programming, Mamma Mia! was the other major release the weekend of July 18th when The Dark Knight also landed in theaters. By appealing to an opposite demographic base, Mamma Mia was able to still pull in a sizable chunk of the box office haul. While certainly not as excellent a film as its companion release, Mamma Mia! was still a very entertaining two hours largely due to the infectious soundtrack comprised of ABBA songs. Even almost a day later I still have "Mamma Mia!", "Dancing Queen" and "Voulez-Vous" stuck in my head with the hope I'm not caught humming them at work during the week. The cast is also picture perfect with not a single bad addition to the bunch and all perform admirably considering the musical necessities of the production. Mamma Mia! is certainly a contrast to the dark, grisly competition from its opening week. Its heartfelt story of a girl in preparation for her wedding inviting the three possible men who could be her father mixed with ABBA's catchy feel good music makes this a diverting pastime well worth the viewing length, however it still suffers from its parts being greater than the whole.

Meryl Streep positively shines as Donna, the mother of the bride to be and the woman who is unsure which of her three suitors from that fateful summer is the father of her child. All of the roles I have seen Streep in have been reserved, proper ladies and it was a refreshing change of pace to see her let her hair down (literally and figuratively) in this film. She campaigned for the role after seeing one of the shows and her pure delight in being a part of the movie is certainly evident on the screen. She looks like she is having the time of her life and by extension so does the audience. In fact the entire cast makes the whole production look like a giant party and it's perhaps this casual feel that takes the weight out of the heavier material. The drama of the situation Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) has placed herself in is never really explored and it hurts the overall success of the picture.

While owing a great debt of success to its musical scenes, they also hurt the interlocking scenes as they lack the luster and depth of the song and dance numbers. In fact most transition scenes are only used to jump into the next song and provide a disjointed feel to the entire story. Characters will be having a conversation about Sophie's dilemma and will immediately switch to necessary dialogue that leads into another song. The brilliant soundtrack is both a gift and a curse to the film and perhaps as a one time seen play audiences are more willing to forgive such structure but with a movie, that will eventually be released on DVD, you can be sure that repeat viewing will most likely contain the music sequences with much of the rest skipped over in favor of hearing favorite tunes.

One of the bright lights of the picture are the potential fathers to Sophie with each a distinct personality and none favored over the others to point the audience in the right direction. Bill (Stellan Skarsgård) is the adventurous lone wolf who is frightened by the possibility that he could be a father and a little hesitant to embark on a new adventure with Rosie (a hilarious Julie Walters). Harry (Colin Firth) is the buttoned down businessman who is the complete antithesis of the free spirited Donna but certainly has moments where he allows his colorful past to shine through. Finally there's Sam (Pierce Brosnan) who may be Sophie's father but all he really went to the wedding for was the chance to proclaim his love for Donna once more. While maybe not the best singer in the production, he is certainly doing his own singing while others have quite probably been dubbed. It adds a layer of realism to his portrayal and he is also one of the few who comes across equally as well in the dialogue sequences. The love story may be rushed in the end but with James Bond #5 as the love of Donna's life, you never stop to question it.

Favorite moment: The "Voulez-Vous" number is a dizzying night sequence which is a physical manifestation of Sophie's emotions regarding her three rival fathers. Showcasing some fine dancing and sung by the entire cast, it was, in my opinion, the best number in the entire film and certainly one of the songs possibly forever doomed inside my head.