Mamma Mia! is a movie about three women who want to find out who fathered their mother. It is also a movie about ABBA songs played at full volume, and the two ambitions do not get along very well.
The plot concerns Donna, her daughter Sophie, and Sophie’s fiancé Sky, who discover that Sophie was conceived during a weekend spent in Greece by three men named Harry, Bill and Sam. Each man claims to be the father, and the movie sends them all back to the island to settle the question once and for all.
Trailer, via Screen Bites.
Songs First, Story Second
The problem is that the songs are the point, and the story is mostly there to justify playing them. ABBA wrote the music, and the film leans on it heavily, sometimes repeating a song across multiple scenes without adding anything new. The result is that the narrative keeps stopping to let the band perform.
There are some genuinely funny moments, especially early on, when Donna’s friends Tanya and Rosie show up to help run her hotel. But the film loses energy once the men arrive and the search for the father becomes the main thread.
Three Men, One Question
The three potential fathers are played by Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgård. Brosnan plays Harry, a smooth talker who seems to know exactly what he wants. Firth plays Bill, a quiet man who is clearly out of his depth. Skarsgård plays Sam, the one who actually seems to care about the truth.
The movie gives each man a reason to want to be the father, but it never quite decides which one it actually believes in. This leaves the central mystery feeling less like a mystery and more like a device for getting everyone together on screen.
The Cast Carries It
The cast is the film’s strongest asset. Meryl Streep plays Donna with warmth and humor, even when the script asks her to explain herself at great length. Amanda Seyfried plays Sophie with a mix of innocence and determination that makes her believable as both a daughter and a bride-to-be.
Pierce Brosnan brings a charm that carries him through the silliest scenes. Colin Firth finds the right balance between awkwardness and sincerity. Stellan Skarsgård plays Sam with a gentle dignity that grounds the whole affair.
The Songs Carry It Too
The songs themselves are the reason anyone comes to see Mamma Mia!, and the film knows it. The ABBA catalog is full of hits, and the movie leans on them without apology.
- “Dancing Queen” opens the film with a burst of energy.
- “Take a Chance on Me” gives the story its romantic heart.
- “Mamma Mia” itself closes the film with a big singalong moment.
- “Thank You for the Music” sums up the whole enterprise with a wink.
The production values are high, with bright colors and sweeping shots of the Greek landscape. The choreography is energetic, though it can’t hide the fact that the dancers are often moving to music that has already stopped playing.
A Bright, Shallow Affair
Mamma Mia! is a bright, shallow affair that knows exactly what it wants to be and delivers it without shame. It is not trying to be a serious drama, and it doesn’t pretend to be one. What it is trying to be is a fun, family-friendly musical, and on that count it succeeds more often than not.
But the thin plot and the repeated songs keep it from being more than a pleasant afternoon at the cinema. The film is at its best when it stops worrying about the father and lets the characters just enjoy themselves.
Mamma Mia! is a bright, silly musical with a strong cast and a weak story. It is worth seeing for the songs and the performances, but not for the plot. The movie is a bright, hollow affair, full of color and motion but short on substance.
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