Mamma Mia! review - a theatre person's view

I’ve seen Mamma Mia in the theater and in NYC; I have to admit the film falls short to the stage show. I’ll admit, I enjoyed Mamma Mia after the second song; Money, Money, Money. This was the point for me that I let any expectations go. The key to enjoying this film is sitting back and enjoying so good music and some goofy, but charming, choreography.

I’ll be the first to agree with Korey that this film is haphazard and the choreography is disjointed and very questionable. On the other hand, after the second song (Money, Money, Money), I was able to let everything go and sit back to enjoy what I feel a summer music epitomizes. The seemingly random choreography actually enhances the experience of Mamma Mia. Without the unexplained appearance, oh so common in musicals, you would have had a bunch of solos, similar to the route Sweeney Todd took. Musicals are not meant to be a bunch of strung solos. Finding ways to incorporate a chorus line is an exceedingly difficult task for some scripts. Unfortunately, Mamma Mia is not one of them. The NYC show I saw used hotel staff and guests as a chorus line, along with the townsfolk already on the stage. There weren’t any ‘pop-out’ moments just for a chorus; they aided the songs much more than just a handful of lines here and there in some songs and more in others.

This makeshift chorus line tried for a middle ground, and failed because of its indecision. Either eliminating the chorus or given the chorus more lines would have solved some of this problem. The same could have been said for some of the choreography issues. Some of the songs were so whimsical in delivery that it left the audience wondering how high the director was when drafting it. Again, letting expectation go and enjoying it for what it is solves some of the problem. If you allow yourself to see some questionable or unexplainable choreography and laugh, it eases the film along and really makes for an enjoyable time.

The acting and singing were bad. I can’t sugarcoat that fact. Comparing it to my theatre experience with the script, there is no comparison. The show in NYC I attended was plot focused as opposed to song focused, like the film was. When this script is plot driven, the show actually has some very interesting and thought provoking material. For the film, the deeper aspects of the script were overridden by gloss and glam in an attempt to market to ABBA fans. In that regard, the marketing was successful. ABBA wrote some great material and it was used to full advantage for this film.

While many in the cast could not carry the songs very well, the enthusiasm and lightheartedness make up for lack of ability. The only voice that dragged was Pierce Brosnan’s. This is due to the reason Korey described, Brosnan took the film seriously. In a film leaning itself towards a giddy, euphoric, and laughable nature, Brosnan’s attempt at drama is out of place. The audio sync on his vocals also looked a little off, but that may have just been my movie theater or show.

The scenery really lends itself to a beautiful film. This is the one advantage film has to live theatre. The settings are elaborate and very pretty to look at. As close as theatre can get, it can only reproduce a copy of Greece. The film was shot exclusively on a Greek Isle, generating a sense of believability to the setting. When they discuss the hotel, you see a real hotel instead of just a staged set.

For the setting along, a movie theater is recommended and therefore, Mamma Mia gets a matinee in my eyes. Granted, it is a low matinee. My only warning is if you cannot go into this film with no preconceived ‘holier-than-this’ attitude, this film is not for you. Just because this film is not as structurally strong as the script for the play doesn’t mean the film has no redeeming qualities. It has a good soundtrack, infectiously upbeat aura, and is genuinely fun to watch if you don’t think about it or be overly critical. Enjoy the film for what it is, an almost mindless summer musical.