Sing along to ABBA's greatest hits as you watch a beautiful and funny story unfold in a gorgeous Greek island setting! All aboard for Mamma Mia! – the hit musical film from 2008…
The Story
Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is a young bride-to-be who lives on a beautiful Greek island with her fiancé Sky (Dominic Cooper) and single mum Donna (Meryl Streep), who runs a self-made Bed&Breakfast here.
Even though Sophie is looking forward to her wedding, there is one thing missing: A father who will lead her to the aisle! Because Sophie doesn't know her biological father, she sends out three identical wedding invitations to three possible candidates (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgård).
When the three men arrive on the island without the knowledge of Donna, this means chaos and confusion…
Scene from “Mamma Mia!” © 2008 Universal Studios
But since Mamma Mia! is a musical-film, the men also join into a big, jolly party together with Sophie, Sky, Donna and Donna's girlfriends.
Spiced up with all the chart toppers of Swedish success band ABBA, expect a lot of dancing, singing and gorgeous Greek paradise beach scenes…
The Location
Most of the outdoor scenes were shot on the Greek islands of Skiathos and Skopelos. The Old Port on Skiathos, for example, served as the harbour at which Harry and Sam arrive in identical cabs. On the island of Skopelos, Sophie reads her mother's old diary to her friends.
Kastani Beach, which is located on the western coast of Skopelos, was used for the scene in which the loved-up couple Sky and Sophie sang "Lay All Your Love On Me" and as the setting for the beach bar performance of "Does Your Mother Know?".
Kastani Beach © Sonja Irani / FilmFanTravel.com
The church, in which the wedding takes place, can also be found on the island of Skopelos. The path leading up to the Agios Ioannis Chapel is, however, pretty steep. Thus, it's best to go there on a guided mini bus tour, such as the Mamma Mia Highlights Tour by Dolphin of Skopelos.
The "Mamma Mia!" wedding chapel on Skopelos © Sonja Irani / FilmFanTravel.com
The indoor scenes such as those in Donna's B&B or the wedding chapel, were actually filmed in England, more precisely at the Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire where all the interiors were built especially for the film.
The Performance
Some sing better than others, but Amanda Seyfried and Meryl Streep, who both took over leading roles in this flick, are definitely doing an amazing job! I do think that Meryl Streep does an amazing jobs in all of her films though, so perhaps I am a bit biased… but she clearly proved that she can sing as well.
Meryl Streep in “Mamma Mia!” © 2008 Universal Studios
The film is also a very funny one, so there are naturally a lot of "laugh out loud moments". Plus, Mamma Mia! is an unique opportunity to see James Bond aka Pierce Brosnan and Mr. Darcy from Bridget Jones aka Colin Firth dancing to ABBA songs in super tight, glittering onesies. I guess that was fashionable in the Seventies… 🙂
Stellan Skarsgård joins the cast as the only real Swedish dude and proves that he's got quite a good sense of humour, too!
Dancing scene from “Mamma Mia!” © 2008 Universal Studios
The final verdict: A little bit cheesy at times, but overall a really well-done feel good movie – not only for ABBA fans! If you ever feel down, this one will lift you right up!
**** 4 out of 5 stars
Meryl Streep in “Mamma Mia!” © Universal Studios
Travel Tip: Discover all about Sweden's most famous musical act ABBA at the ABBA Museum in Stockholm, Sweden! And for all those who just cannot get enough of Dancing Queen and would like to feel as if they've stepped right into the film – the adjacent Pop House Hotel even offers the possibility to book a Mamma Mia! party package.
Film Tip 1: If you enjoyed Mamma Mia! you may also like the musical-film Walking on Sunshine (2014). Instead of showcasing the Greek islands, this one was filmed in the perhaps a bit lesser known, but equally gorgeous South Italian region of Apulia.
"Mamma Mia! Here we go again" © 2018 Universal Studios
The Mamma Mia! sequel is here!
Film Tip 2: Exactly 10 years after the release of the first Mamma Mia! movie, the long-awaited sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again! has been released in cinemas worldwide on the 19th of July 2018. This time though, all filming was done in Croatia, more specifically the Croatian island of Vis, even though the setting still is the same fictitious Greek island of Kalokairi.
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