Saturday, October 04, 2008

Love, Dream, Music

“If you really don’t like the plot or the movie, at least, just go and enjoy the music,” I urged my friends.

“Is it really good?” one of them asked again.

“Yes, and go catch up before she gives birth,” I replied, pointing to his wife sitting beside him, with her big round tummy peeking up from the table where I was sitting.

I was wildly promoting the movie “Mamma Mia!” to them yesterday over dinner. Like I said, even if you find the plot somewhat incredible, the acting not as great, the music is always there to save the show. But, really, in my opinion, the plot is passable, the acting is superb (who can fault Meryl Streep?) and the music is absolutely mesmerising. Oh, I should leave that word to describe the sea!

There were too many reasons prompting me to watch this show. At the top of the list was the location of the shoot – Greece. Gosh, you don’t know how crazy I am over this country. I love Greek so much that I desperately wanted to dress like one for my wedding. In the end, my designer did his best to give me an evening gown that shows off a multi-purpose top with a fiery, red Spanish colour, Of course, I gave my top a toga twist, to add in that Greeky touch.

The other reasons were of course, the cast plus the songs! I was already tapping to the tunes of “Dancing Queen” during the trailers, so how could I ever miss this for the world? The fact that I can eat popcorns and watch it on the big screen is the last puller.

I wasn’t disappointed at all. Though Stuart said the movie was nowhere comparable to the real musical when he caught during their performance in Singapore in 2005, he too agreed with me that it was certainly a value for money movie.

Amanda Seyfried who plays Sophie, the bride-to-be and daughter of Donna (Meryl Streep) looks so lovely and delightful in her Greek wedding dress! I gushed at the way she looked and giggled to Stuart “that’s exactly the way I wanted to look!” She sings beautifully as well.

In fact, the ability of the cast to pull off the songs at such a capacity impresses me.

Sophie is on the quest to know her biological father, a mystery that even her mother is clueless on. The only clue they have is he is definitely one of the three men whom Donna had, with each, a short-lived and yet absolutely mind-blowing whirlwind romance.

So, which of the three – Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgard), Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan), Harry Bright (Colin Firth) – is the father of the 20 year old bride?

The sun, the sea, the beach, the girls, the boys, the women, the men and lastly, the music are all to be keenly watched out for in this 2-hour movie Mamma Mia!.

I can feel the love between Sophie and her fiancé, and I can feel the deep relationship shared between her mother and her two best friends, who banded together to call themselves the “Dynamo Sisters”. The chemistry between them and how they gel together so well when each of them can be so different as individuals reminds me of how girlfriends are so important in our lives, and the best ones are usually found and made during our school days.

Perhaps the intensity of the love shared between Donna and Sam is best reflected when she expresses her innermost feelings – the huge struggle between wanting him and not being able to want him – in the song she sings at the cliff, on the way to the church. Stuart was so touched by it that he, well, shed some manly tears.

See! Now tell me if this movie isn’t worth you watching.

Besides love, there is also a dream that each of them bears. And that is probably what gives this plot that magical touch – a dream. All of us have a dream with us. It can be born during our childhood, or it can be unearthed as we journey on in our lives. But, I believe everyone has a dream, and to be able to realise it is something that invokes a passionate emotion in us. 

As I told Stuart at the end of the movie, “I think Pierce Brosnan is the only person who probably shouldn’t be singing.” But, he more than made up for it with his suave, charming looks and his oh-so-man eyes. That’s why, I’m still happy.