Ten reasons why I can’t resist this film:
1. The Abba soundtrack. Thank you, Abba, for the music. There’s nothing more infectious than an Abba song.
2. Meryl Streep as super trouper Donna is the perfect role model for women over a certain age.
3. That location.
4. It’s impossible to watch this film without smiling. The comedy is woven through perfectly throughout, from the wonderfully amusing performances by Julie Walters and Christine Baranski to the fun cameos featuring Benny and Bjorn.
5. The Winner Takes it All. Meryl’s heartfelt rendition of this deeply emotive song is almost as powerful as Agnetha’s and you have to love the way she carries on singing after running up that hill…
6. I love the fact that the idealistic Sophie character (Amanda Seyfried) eventually discovers what’s important in life.
7. When all is said and done, the actors in this film don’t sing like Agnetha and Anni-Frid, Benny or Bjorn, nor do they sing like the stars of the stage show. No, they sing like ordinary people, and that’s what makes this film so accessible. That’s what makes people, like me, who don’t have much confidence in their vocal abilities, happy to sing along without a care in the world.
8. It appeals to the dancing queen in everyone - young and old alike.
9. One man one woman, one mother one daughter, one man one man, three old friends, three young friends, etc etc. The Mamma Mia! story celebrates the many faces of love in a very genuine and feelgood way.
10. Money Money Money. Not only is Mamma Mia! the highest grossing film at the UK Box Office but it's also the UK's best selling DVD ever. I think this proves once and for all just how ABBAsolutely fabulous this movie is.
