Film

Mamma Mia! (2008)

Director: Phyllida Lloyd

Movie review

From Time Out New York

With all the giddy, giggly energy of a ten-year-old girl’s slumber party (and roughly the same aesthetic self-discipline), Mamma Mia! practically dares you to criticize it, only to laugh in your face—and, presumably, all the way to the bank. From the breathless opening, in which bride-to-be Sophie (Seyfried, as cheery and full-throated as anyone from High School Musical) sends wedding invitations to each of the three men who might be her father, the cast jumps around a gorgeous Greek island, bursting into some of the most hooky pop songs ever written. (Just try to get through this review without “Waterloo” taking over your internal soundtrack.…)

The spectacle of Meryl Streep, one of the most lauded actors of her generation, crawling around a roof in overalls singing the title song is a bit jarring, but damned if she doesn’t throw herself into it with gusto. As her former backup singers, Julie Walters and Christine Baranski aren’t given enough to do; apparently Pierce Brosnan’s license to kill includes songs. Phyllida Lloyd’s direction is a study in middling success, with missed opportunities at every turn. But who cares? This movie isn’t just unapologetic fluff; it’s aggressive, out-loud-and-proud fluff. Just like ABBA.