Monday, July 23, 2018

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

On Saturday, I saw Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, starring Amanda Seyfried and Lily James.

Sophie (Seyfried) is on the verge of opening the hotel her mother Donna (James/Meryl Streep) had always dreamed of running. She's having trouble with her boyfriend, trouble with the weather and trouble with nausea. Of course, she sings about all of it.

Through present-day scenes with her and flashbacks of her young mother at a similar time in her life, we explore the parallels between the two women in a more heartwarming way that I honestly expected.

Lily James does a brilliant job of conveying the spirit of young Donna (a role originated by the magnificent Streep), finding herself in a new life on a small island, pregnant with Sophie. We get the backstory on how she first met Sophie's three dads (in somewhat comical retellings) and see her bravery and fears surface in vibrant color.

The film is enjoyable, if not a bit sad at poignant moments, and the always-reliable A-list stars definitely deliver (they even let Pierce Brosnan sing again).

My only disappointments would be the under-utilized Cher and the slow pace of the first 30 minutes.

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