Meryl Streep
Mamma Mia!
FirstPost.co.uk

Since it opened in 1999, Mamma Mia! has become one of the most successful and best-loved stage productions in the world, and its transfer to the screen has therefore been hotly anticipated. Blessedly, the cinematic version is an absolute gem, full of energy and gusto, and bolstered by a gung-ho cast and the writer, director and producer of the stage play. For those unfamiliar with the story, Mamma Mia! relates the tale of Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep), the proprietor of a Greek taverna, who, having passed the 1970s somewhat promiscuously, has a daughter named Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), fathered potentially by one of three men. Now that Sophie is due to wed she wants to know which of these men should be walking her down the aisle - Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth or Stellan Skarsgard. One should add that - this being a musical - the story is told to the tune of Abba's greatest hits. The three paternal candidates all bring a certain disorientated charm to the screen, but it's the women who flourish here - not only Streep and Seyfried, but also Julie Walters and Christine Baranski in their supporting roles. Amid all the buffed-up action flicks and the chirpy-voiced animations haunting our screens this summer, Mamma Mia! provides the more voluptuous, womanly film choice.