Mamma Mia series

  • Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)

    Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (On Cable TV, April 2019) “Here we go again” is indeed the point of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again as it tries, and succeeds better than expected, at recreating the in-your-face fun factor of its 2008 predecessor. This time, the timeline splits into a prequel and a sequel, showing a mother/daughter pair of stories with parallels to each other. Clearly, the novelty factor of the original (if such a thing could exist considering its adaptation from a long-running touring musical) is no longer there, replaced by comfort at the premise. The large ensemble returning cast is made even larger by the duelling timelines, and features both better vocal performers and a somewhat more judicious use of those returning actors with limited vocal ranges. Everything is shot in a comfy colourful way meant to evoke happy memories and sun-drenched holidays. While this Mamma Mia sequel is watchable to those who haven’t seen the original (or don’t have specific memories of it), it’s clearly meant as an encore for fans. The film deftly plays on its own self-awareness, blending allusions to itself and its actors in a way that’s unapologetically meant to be fun—just witness the buildup to Cher’s arrival in the film and the mass prostration that follows. It’s all great good fun like the original (and perhaps even more so, given better vocals, more ambitious cinema-specific scripting and bigger slicker numbers), even though the constraints of sticking to the ABBA catalogue mean diminishing returns in terms of big anthems. It does reach a crescendo during the final number, blending timelines in a big celebratory number. In the grand spirit of musicals, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is not meant to be intricate, but there are a few nice touches along the way. But perhaps best of all, it’s utterly unrepentant about the kind of musical comedy it means to be.

  • Mamma Mia! (2008)

    Mamma Mia! (2008)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (On DVD, sometime mid-2009) I’m not that familiar with the original stage jukebox musical, but even I know that it’s a frothy romantic comedy built around a number of ABBA songs. As such, the film adaptation Mamma Mia! does service to the concept: It’s lighthearted, romantic, and features a series of numbers based on ABBA songs. As three older men converge on a Greek island where an ex-flame and her daughter live, it’s the film’s smallest mystery to find out who is the girl’s father. Much of the time is spend singing and dancing, helped along by the inescapable (and somewhat delightful) fact that ABBA’s music has inserted itself deeply into modern pop culture. The result may be kitsch, but it’s familiar and comfortable kitsch without a mean bone and with an inordinate desire to please. It is, in other words, almost impossible to dislike. The actors involved aren’t all good singers, but it’s part of the film’s charm to see Pierce Brosnan croon, even hoarsely, to Meryl Streep. Amanda Seyfried is cute as a Muppet as the daughter with a mystery father, and the fantastic Greek scenery adds a lot to the film’s sunny atmosphere. Mamma Mia! isn’t high art, but sometimes campy pop is more than good enough.