Mamma Mia

OK, today I watched Mamma Mia. And after some small effort on my part I actually enjoyed it! As Meryl Streep, Julie Walters and another older actor (people on this Greek island seem to come exclusively in groups of three) led a ferocious hoard of Greek woman to the beach in order to do an epic and liberating riverdance-thing on a pier, I was forced to the conclusion that I needed to have more fun, and be more fun. My limited experience of the genres ( being chickflicks and Broadway Musicals) meant I approached the veiwing with trepidation, expecting some aspects too toe-curling to bear were going to be the slapshod and irrelevant splatter of Abba tunes, sung all too seriously by people who can’t sing; a script devoid of actual humour in favour of puns, social pratfalls and women being independent of men required only for emotional fulfilment (yes, that is hypocritical and derogitory); and endless smiling as turn-arounds as the imminent disaster are turned around by the realisation that love conquers all... hewfruurgh! I shiver at the thought!! But NO! The cast started happy and loved up, with the plot developing as the human flaws and cracks in their half-arsed paradise existence came to the fore. Truer to life in my opinion. Meryl Streep was emotive and honest without chewing the very dusty and rusty Greek scenery, whist Julie Walters took a role of pure cheese and faff and made it a genuine joy in her inemitable way. Every actor competed for each scene, eating up the opportunity to let everything go and have a laugh, and their exuberance was made easier by the energy, scope and scale of the cinematography. I suspect a bit of Thunderbirds Technicolour to make those blues a bit bluer. The highlight of the film in every way as clearly Pierce Brosnan’s secret history as a a Easy Rider/ Jack Sparrow hippy who sings like you cannot imagine (awful beyond belief!), it was worth the fact my brain was actually turning to blancmange. These stars and the subtle beauty of the location tell a merry tale that is far more involving than the actual synopsis would have you believe (on the surface there's something about some poor, inept and unforgivably perky wee lass and her two mates (three young pretty grils) going mental and arranging a financially crippling and stress inducing wedding in order to con three men (Yes, THREE men) into vying over paternity. I think she could have done with a trip to the mainland a little more often to find herself and learn that Famous-Five-channelling ploys and shemes aren’t always viable in the 21st Century. I was so glad to see her pale into the background and fail miserably in her innocent fraud as Remington Steel stole the show!)
But what of the songs Mr H? I mean it’s Abba! Yes, Abba are an anomaly. I own Abba’s greatest hits, know the words and appreciate that they were exceptional song crafters. But I never listen to them, because they invented half the musical clichés I now loathe (the other half are BG's and New Jack Swing damn you all!). These arrangements are placed within choreography, plot placement and awful awful karaoke performances to make you forget all about it. Sing-along may be a little too much but the tunes are consciously modern in arrangement and not at all seventies. By the finale, the unnecessary but unavoidable flairs and platform boots hoe-down, I really had no resentment for the music, I was just quite happy and fealt totally entertained, as if the inanity and spirit combined had removed a need for actual stimulation of any form.
I did learn two things. Yes Mamma Mia is educational. One: Does Your Mother Know was not written by Ash , and is about a Panther woman teasing a poor overkeen boy, who seems to enjoy the attention, not a creepy Loaded-generation lad regretting the insidious intentions of some young lass and desperately trying to avoid consensual rape as I originally thought . There is a heavy imbalance between sexual politics. Sort it out! Thing number two, people in Greece only travel in three's. Zorba the Greek and it's strange loners was wrong. Thing learnt number three, you can get away with anything if you do it with appealing people and enough gusto to keep you from needing to worry about details. I let the joy in and was pleased beyond measure, and I hadn’t even had a drink! So all call to all you cynics, get your mates round and just bask in some unadulterated fun. If you’re into cheesey dumb guff presented with colour and veuve then I guess you’ll enjoy this whatever your mood, so everyone, just indulge your little self J