Thank You For The Music*

Well Mamma Mia the Movie was everything I expected it to be, and more actually. And having seen Mamma Mia the Musical, I was expecting a lot.

What I was expecting was some fine work from Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski and Julie Walters.

What I wasn't expecting, (and this even after from having read some reviews of some fellow 'membership card holders' prior to seeing the film tonight) was just how excruciatingly horrendous Pierce Brosnan was in this film. OK his acting was ok, but Mother Mary... his singing. It... it... well to be frank it made the audience laugh every time he sang. Especially S.O.S. and indeed that was aptly selected for him because yes, S.O.S., he needed help!

Sure I'll say it, aside from perhaps the two playing Sophie and Sky, the rest of the cast's voices were not, how shall I put it... of Tony Award Winning calibre, BUT they were fine. In fact, their actually being less than perfect brought you in closer to the characters, because - lets face it... we all sing in the shower and in the house (usually when completely alone) but we all do it and especially to ABBA. We all have at least one song that we can't not sing... and oft is the case where there are many ABBA songs that illicit such spontaneous singing from a crowd: Waterloo, Dancing Queen and of course... Mamma Mia - their singing just made you feel like you were there with them...

...that is until HE sang. OH! MY! GOD!... You know I just made an appointment to get a hearing test, but after listening to Mr. Brosnan, I'm not so sure I wouldn't just rather go deaf...

Look, I don't want this to be all negative, the movie was fab. You really OUGHT TO GO... to hell with Batman, GO SEE MAMMA MIA!, just remember what you've read here and plug your ears when you sense Brosnan is going to sing... trust me, you'll know... I think we humans, like most other animals can sense a storm, or an earthquake before they hit, can sense him before he sings...

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What did I enjoy most in the film? Well, aside from a couple of uber-hotties in nothing but bermuda shorts... and of course Colin Firth's character's new found fabulousity and his extremely dishy Greek boy toy,; it was when all the women on the island were singing and dancing to Dancing Queen. The audience was so into it. Singing along, dancing in their seats and when the scene ended they applauded. (In fact that happened a few times.) Tell me, in your lifetime how many times can you recall an audience applauding, and I mean sustained applauding DURING the film, and then at least 3 times thereafter...

This movie won't likely win any major acting or singing awards, it might garner an Oscar nomination or two and perhaps a statue or two for the more technical aspects, and you know what? good for them; this is not a serious drama, it won't change your life... or will it? Mamma Mia lets you escape, truly escape for 2 hours. and really that is life changing.

Mamma Mia is Fluff.
Mamma Mia is Fun.
Mamma Mia is Fabulousity.

Misster-Kitty gives Mamma Mia 9.5 hairballs out of 10 And we all know why it lost that half point.

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* except for when Pierce Brosnan sang.