"Wonderful" my co-workers all said. "I loved it! I love love love that musical." "Mama Mia was terrific! I went out and bought the DVD and the soundtrack."
Gary and I watched Mama Mia. We sat on the loveseat in silence for half an hour until Gary announced, "This is crap."
"I love musicals. I like Abba. I hate this. Let's stop watching it."
But we couldn't stop. Except for one brief moment of hope as they were playing "Dancing Queen" on the way to the pier, it was so unendurably hideous we couldn't look away.
Here's how a movie musical should be: Eliza Doolittle is pissed at her boyfriend and starts singing "Show Me." Nellie breaks up with her boyfriend and sings "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair." There's motivation for a character to say something, then when they say it in song it progresses the plot.
On the other hand, we spent much of our time dreading how they were going to integrate "Waterloo" into the plot. We also turned on the sing-along subtitles. So we got to see the lyrics. Lyrics like: "The judges will decide / The likes of me abide / Spectators of the show / Always staying low."
It was awful. Why did you all like it?
I liked it. I didn't love it. I liked the way it was filmed. Or maybe I just love Greece. I admit that I watched "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" over the weekend. Greece is just so beautiful.
Oh, Pierce Brosnan was terrible, right? Bless his heart.
Posted by: Erin G. | July 13, 2009 at 06:35 AM
I liked it because I don't usually like musicals. I didn't need much of a plot. I didn't need the kids falling in love and I certainly did not need to hear Pierce Brosnan singing and looking all smarmy. I loved it because Meryl Streep made it look like she was having the time of her life.
Posted by: Becs | July 13, 2009 at 07:08 AM
i'm going to see menopause the musical with coworkers.
because that's what grown ups do, GO AND SEE THESE TYPES OF THINGS because then WHEN OTHER PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IT . . .
i can be part of the conversation.
I have hopes it will be ok. I tell you what though. I need to work with younger type folks.
gaaah!!!
ok good. Abba. weehheee!
Posted by: Mrs. The Hall | July 13, 2009 at 07:59 AM
I liked it because it looked like a bunch of people decided to go to Greece for a vacation, then said, "Let's make a movie!" Filmwise it's crap - there's basically no structure, no plot - just an excuse for people to stop and sing. But it's happy crap. Sometimes we just like stuff that has no intrinsic value - like cotton candy.
Posted by: Crystal (Bratcw) | July 13, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Colin Firth looked embarrassed, Pierce Brosnan was embarrassing, Meryl Streep can't do warm and likeable - and yet the movie was fun because it really looked as though the actors were having fun. And despite the lyrics being so obviously English-as-a-second-language (and what excuse do English-speaking songwriters have? I mean, "If you don't shoot it how am I supposed to hold it?" - ???) - the music is just so irresistibly catchy.
Posted by: Big Dot | July 13, 2009 at 03:42 PM
I think Mama Mia is silly. I'm a Rent-head.
Posted by: #0.75 | July 13, 2009 at 05:27 PM
I laughed through the whole thing. I enjoyed it. I bought it.
Of course I don't eat pig snouts either.
Posted by: Zayrina | July 13, 2009 at 05:50 PM
Never saw Mama Mia. No desire. I'm waiting for the musical version of the Vagina Monologues.
Posted by: 3 | July 13, 2009 at 11:50 PM
Erin G - Greece? The sun's too bright there. And I think that was what got me, PB was so so bad.
Becs - Well, in some scenes she did. But then, so did PB.
Mrs The Hall - I hear Menopause has a great vibrator song.
Crystal (Bratcw) - I got stuck on the bad and couldn't get past it to the happy.
Big Dot - "English-as-a-second-language" - my very thought when I saw some awkward word in the lyrics : I've forgotten, but I think it was "Imperiously."
.75 - I still haven't seen Rent. I'm sure it's wonderful.
Zayrina - Well, or cultured butter.
3 - I'm thinking Zack amd Mira Make a Porno might kind of be like the Vagina Monologues.
Posted by: TheQueen | July 14, 2009 at 12:51 AM
I hated this too, and I love musicals. Mine are usually filmed in TechnaColor and from the 40's/50's.
Posted by: SurprisingWoman | July 14, 2009 at 11:48 AM
You can rent the movie Rent...it's almost as good because it has a few of the original cast members and fills in a lot of the story.
Posted by: #0.75 | July 14, 2009 at 05:18 PM
Surprising Woman - I like the 60's musicals. Anything with Julie Andrews.
.75 - Inever saw La Boheme, but I saw Camille. Isn't that what it's based on?
Posted by: TheQueen | July 15, 2009 at 12:39 AM
Yes..it's based on La Boheme but MUCH better!
Posted by: #0.75 | July 16, 2009 at 08:08 AM
.75 - I'm sure I'll see the movie someday.
Posted by: TheQueen | July 16, 2009 at 11:42 PM