I remember watching “Movin’ Out,” the jukebox musical of Billy Joel’s greatest hits and thinking, wow, the songs actually tell a unified story. More or less. Being from Long Island and a major Joel fan made me a forgiving audience of one.
“Mamma Mia!” - forged from the fires of ABBA’s hit machine - attempted to follow the same blueprint. Maybe it works on stage, but it’s a mess on the silver screen. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t include some guilty pleasures, especially for those with a weakness for older, assertive women.
I deconstruct “Mamma Mia!” over at Donne Tempo. It’s brilliant counter-programming against “The Dark Knight,” and the summer’s second example of a film aimed exclusively at women. “Sex and the City” made a mint, but it had a built-in TV fan base. We’ll see if the same people who made “Mamma’s” Broadway show a sensation pony up for movie tickets this weekend.
Update: Check out my thoughts on the film’s peculiar age demographic - not something you see everyday at your local cineplex.
(Photo: Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan both play hard to get in “Mamma Mia!”))
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
chase 07.19.08 at 7:10 pm
“older, assertive women” … yeah, I do kind of picture you with Bea Arthur …. come to think of it.
cftoto 07.19.08 at 7:13 pm
What straight man doesn’t dream of a night with The Bea??
Dr. Zaius 07.19.08 at 9:36 pm
I’ve been sentenced to take my wife to see this movie — what Kyle Smith calls one of the gayest films ever made.
Courage.
cftoto 07.19.08 at 9:40 pm
Dr. Zaius, you’ll earn so many ‘good husband’ points it’ll almost be worth it. Almost.
Gayest 07.19.08 at 10:10 pm
Well, as one gay man among a strong gay presence on opening day at our local movie house, I have to say I enjoyed this movie! I’ve seen the stage show twice, once on Broadway and once as a touring production. The women in the movie vesion bring an entirely different quality to the show than any stage actress could … you almost could switch any blonde actress in the stage show in and out of the role and it would remain much the same. Streep, with Baranski and Walters as her BFF and Seyfried as her daughter, are fresh and strong in their roles. The men? Whoever thought that Brosnan and company would be good additions to the movie ought to be taken out and flogged … and not in a good way! There are far stronger male leads who can sing out there (where was Antanio when we need him?!). Overall the show is good summertime fluff.
Its unfortunate that the poor man “sentenced” to see this film with his wife couldn’t loosen up a bit … he could join the gay men dancing in the aisles on this one! We were having a hoot. I hope, at least, that you enjoy the popcorn.
cftoto 07.19.08 at 10:19 pm
Gayest,
Thanks for the feedback and am glad you enjoyed the flick. Streep and her galpals were the whole movie, for sure … but while the three father figures are all good actors, they couldn’t carry a tune in a proverbial bucket.
And even a beer chuggin, SportsCenter watching guy should enjoy the music, right?
chase 07.19.08 at 11:43 pm
And as a straight guy, I can’t tell you how much fun I had at Denver’s Pride Weekend … holy smokes, it was nuts, … and mostly ’cause i can’t remember all of it, the vodka was flowing, but it was a blast .. rock on
cftoto 07.19.08 at 11:48 pm
Chase is so confident in his sexuality that not only did he attend the Pride Weekend … he used the term ‘nuts’ to describe it without a hint of irony!
(you better check for new tats all the same … you never know)
Joel De Sario 07.22.08 at 2:09 pm
I was coerced by my wife to see this thing. As with all the great musicals, “Mamma Mia” did not have one memorable tune.
I would rather take a beating than see “Mamma Mia” again!
cftoto 07.22.08 at 2:45 pm
So what did you really think, Joel?
Sorry it was so painful. I must admit I like a few of the ABBA hits enough to swallow any scene built around it. But it’s clearly a film bio-engineered for the ladies.
Gayest 07.22.08 at 5:51 pm
Oh, if they had ONLY done a close up of the flippered hunks on the warf … that might have mitigated ANY sore feelings for having to listen to Pierce Brosnan singing, over and over and over again.
Gayest
cftoto 07.22.08 at 5:54 pm
If you want a Brosnan apology, check out “The Matador” - a terrific film with a fine lead performance by Mr. Brosnan himself. And I don’t recall him singing a note in it. He does, however, paint his toenails in the opening scene…
Heidi 08.22.08 at 3:57 pm
I saw this movie the day after Dark Knight. My husband, a beer chugging, Sport Center watching heterosexual, went with me. We bothed enjoyed it. Yes, it’s silly, but it’s fun. We both thought it was refreshing after the darkness of “Dark Knight.”
This isn’t going to win any Academy Awards, except it may be nominated in the costume category, but overall, I enjoyed it and I don’t even like ABBA!
Heidi 08.22.08 at 3:58 pm
I saw this movie the day after Dark Knight. My husband, a beer chugging, Sport Center watching heterosexual, went with me. We bothed enjoyed it. Yes, it’s silly, but it’s fun. We both thought it was refreshing after the darkness of “Dark Knight.”
This isn’t going to win any Academy Awards, except it may be nominated in the costume category, but overall, I enjoyed it and I don’t even like ABBA!
PS I am a beer chugging, Sports Center watching, assertive female.
Heidi 08.22.08 at 3:59 pm
PPS We also loved “The Matador” - one of the few movies I can watch over and over again.
cftoto 08.22.08 at 4:42 pm
“The Matador” is a gem … thanks for giving it a shout out.
Though I’m shocked you liked “Mamma” without being an ABBA fan!