...Here We Go Again!
*Spoiler alerts
My, my, how can I resist a sequel to the hugely successful
Mamma Mia, with new and reworked ABBA songs?
The answer is…I can’t, especially when the sequel includes an appearance
by Cher. The follow-up to the 2008 hit
is also a prequel in many ways as it follows the story of Donna’s youth and her
dalliances with the three young men, Sam, Harry and Bill, through flashbacks to
the late 1970s when Donna first arrived on the island of Kalokairi. In the present day, Donna’s daughter is planning a grand re-opening of the hotel (named the Bella Donna). Sophie
is also expecting her first child and her imminent motherhood allows her to feel a
deeper connection to her own mother, who passed away a year earlier.
The film stars the original cast (with Meryl Streep making
an appearance right at the end) as well as a talented group of actors playing
the roles of the young characters in the flashbacks: Lily James (young Donna), Jessica Keenan Wynn
(young Tanya), Alexa Davies (young Rosie), Jeremy Irvine (young Sam), Hugh
Skinner (young Sam) and Josh Dylan (young Bill). And the highlight, of course, Cher as Donna’s
mother and Sophie’s grandmother, Ruby. There
were cheers from the audience when her helicopter touched down on the island
and fervent applause after her performance of Fernando.
The film is predictably and unapologetically camp (and
cheesy at times) but it is also the essence of a feel-good movie and, with all
of the ugliness in the world, it is exactly the kind of movie that offers a
much-needed escape from reality for a couple of hours. If you just accept it for what it is and
enjoy the music, it is a great way to spend an evening. I was curious to see which ABBA songs they
would use for the sequel since the “big” ones were used in the first Mamma Mia. But I thoroughly enjoyed the lesser-known but
equally brilliant tracks (interspersed with some favourites from the first
film), including When I Kissed the Teacher, Angel Eyes, Andante Andante, and My
Love, My Life.
My highlights from the film:
The Waterloo sequence in the restaurant, with its nods to the
ABBA videos of the past and Benny Andersson as the piano player
“Be still my beating vagina”
The goat
The “customs official” on the dock
Young Donna’s performance of the beautifully written Andante, Andante
The little old lady scolding young Sam
The Dynamo’s rendition of Angel Eyes when they are trying to
reassure Sophie that her relationship with Sky will be okay
The arrival of the boats to Dancing Queen
The ridiculous portrait of deceased Donna
The moving duet, My Love, My Life, between Sophie and her
mother’s spirit
Every scene Cher is in, from the moment she sets her sparkly
foot on the island to her Super Trouper performance complete with voluminous
blonde wig and 70s jumpsuit
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