Reminiscing Our Last Summer with Mamma Mia!

W4T1: Movie Review

Based on the 1999 musical of the same name, Mamma Mia is a jukebox romantic comedy musical that takes viewers on a whirlwind tour across a lush Greek island that features a new rendition of classic ABBA songs of the 70s. Starring Meryl Streep as Donna Sheridan, a single mother and hotelier, and Amanda Seyfriend, her daughter Sophie, the story revolves around the preparation of Sophie’s wedding. Our explosive leads are accompanied by an award-winning lineup, starring Pierce Brosnan (Sam), Christine Baranski (Tanya), Colin Firth (Harry), Julie Walters (Rosie), and Stellan Skarsgård (Bill).

Our story begins with Sophie, a young twenty-year-old. Engaged to Sky (Dominic Cooper), she had never known about her father. As she prepares for her wedding, she discovers an old journal of her mother’s past, detailing her rendezvous with three different men during her youth. Curious about her father, Sophie invites all three men to her wedding, in hopes of finding her real father to escort her down the aisle. A series of events unfold within a 24-hour time period following their arrival to the island through song and dance. Donna discovers the three men, Sam, Harry, and Bill hidden in an old goat house and slips in a melancholic spiral - but thankfully, thanks to her friends Tanya and Rosie, Donna bounces back in time to decorate the villa. While the women prepare the hotel, Sophie begins to doubt her marriage with Sky, running off to meet the three men on a boat after they’ve been chased away by Donna. As the quartet enjoy a day in the sun, swimming, and reminiscing, night falls and Sophie is treated to a once in a lifetime performance by Donna and the Dynamos. Amidst the partying of the night, Sophie begins to spiral - overwhelmed by both her marriage and curiosity about her father. As day breaks, our characters have been revitalized, with some of them finding love and some of them finding the truth.

As the movie takes place on an island, one can expect many scenes to be set on the Mediterranean island. Director Phyllida Lloyd utilizes the island’s spread making viewers want to climb through the screen to enjoy the island’s beauty. With the natural sun lighting, many of the scenes feel like a dreamy haze such as Honey, Honey where Sophie playfully recounts her mother’s past, or Our Last Summer, set in the middle of the crystal blue sea with the evening sunlight seeping through. As the movie progresses into the night, Lloyd invites viewers into a more intimate and warmer tone, with Sophie and Sky’s risque and passionate number, Lay All Your Love on Me as well as the vibrant but slightly overwhelming, Voulez-Vous which really makes you feel like you are Sophie.

Not only is the lighting magical, we get to enjoy not just on-screen choruses, but a whole orchestration. The music in the film is the cast’s renditions of the classic ABBA tunes and I have to say, it is absolutely a joy to listen to - I guess that comes when most of the cast has been trained musically. The songs range from upbeat, Dancing Queen to melancholic, SOS, and playful, Take A Chance on Me which really sends viewers through a rollercoaster of emotions, the same way as the characters are thrown into ups and downs. The movie overall sparkles from the catchy and “feel-good” tunes, only slipping back into normality in-between moments when the characters are not singing.

The choreography at times resembles calisthenics, where the characters dangle from ladders, slide down rooftops and frolic amongst the colourful local folk. It is an extremely refreshing execution of a musical within a movie, with some of my personal performances being Mamma Mia where Donna sings our title in a quirky and Donna-like performance and Does Your Mother Know, a cheeky pair performance between Tanya and a young bartending staff. The synergy between the cast makes it all extra special, each of them personifying their characters well and capturing the attraction between each other.

The island itself is absolutely beautiful, making you either want to rewatch the movie a couple more times just to appreciate its beauty or, book a flight to Greece right this instant. As we are all trapped at home right now, what better way to cure your travel blues than with Streep’s charming sunshine - though, I could never understand her final decision in the movie. But, love has its way and on a Greek island, anything is possible.