I really don't like ABBA. I find their singing irritating, their songs largely mediocre, and dislike the way they've come to epitomise the 1970s zeitgeist. With this in mind, you might say that this entry is boringly predictable, and that Mamma Mia! should just be enjoyed for what it is. But even putting the music aside, that becomes very difficult with all the film's other problems, one of the biggest ones being Brosnan. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd (The Iron Lady), Mamma Mia! is based on the hugely popular musical by Catherine Johnson. The plot, for want of a better word, revolves around Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried), a 20-year-old lady who wants to marry her fiancé Sky (Dominic Cooper). Not knowing who her father is, she finds entries in her mother's diary recalling three intimate dates with different men. Unbeknownst to her mother (Meryl Streep), she invites all three men to the Greek island where she is staying to determine who should take her down the aisle. Notwithstanding Mamma Mia!'s shambolic plot, and the way in which ABBA's songs are crowbarred into it, the film is sunk by a series of awkward performances. While Colin Firth and Stellan Skargård have both seen better days, Brosnan is the biggest culprit, looking completely lost and being totally unconvincing in the part. Not to mention that his rendition of 'S.O.S.' is physically painful to sit through, making Russell Crowe's singing in Les Misérables look like Pavarotti by comparison. It's a perfect trainwreck of a film, and the perfect choice for Brosnan's worst performance. --- Disagree with my choices? Drop me a comment below or visit Mumby at the Movies for more film reviews.
Freelance copywriter, film buff, community radio presenter. Former host of The Movie Hour podcast (http://www.lionheartradio.com/ and click 'Interviews'), currently presenting on Phonic FM in Exeter (http://www.phonic.fm/). Other loves include theatre, music and test cricket.
