Lazy rascals, spending their substance, and more, in riotous living

“So I got to make the song cry”

Abba's video for "The Winner Takes it All" works where Mamma Mia doesn't because of the tremendous blankness of the singers. I had no desire to see Mamma Mia! which in a way is odd as I like both Abba and musicals. But a friend prevailed on me to see it last week, and it turns out my initial instincts were correct; it’s not a very good film. Indeed, being a musical and using Abba songs are precisely where the film doesn’t work.

All the reviews I’ve seen have mentioned Pierce Brosnan’s terrible singing, but I haven’t seen  much criticism of Meryl Streep’s performance, which is much worse, and also does more to explain what’s wrong with the film. Read more↴