Mamma Mia
Okay, so I really want to talk about Mamma Mia (but mostly about Meryl's performance) because I'm having some deep thoughts and I don't want to forget them.
I was planning to hate this movie so hard. And there were still things that bothered me about it, mostly the direction, the choreography, and the whole "hey, let's write a story around a bunch of ABBA songs and turn it into a musical" idea, which I think is pretty moronic in general. But other than the terrible clash of those three elements, I really enjoyed it. To me, the songs weren't quite as obnoxious as the original versions, which was awesome, and I loved that I could just have fun watching it. I forget where I read this, but it was an interview where Meryl said something about how she liked to do this type of role role, with tripping into goats, ridiculous crying, and crazy dancing, because it was empowering for a woman of her age. I definitely got that vibe when I was watching it, and I can see why it would be so much fun to be a part of it.
That said, I thought her performance was totally genuine and human, especially for a musical built around such an inherently flawed premise. I've never really been a fan of musicals, particularly those on film, because I rarely feel the connection between "putting on a show" with musical numbers and keeping to the modern subtle style of film. To me, it's like how actors used to totally overact in early films because they were just so used to working on the stage and didn't know quite how to tone it down yet. You can do one of Shakespeare's monologues and put on a show and be all over the place, but you can also say the words quietly and succinctly and it has the potential to be incredibly beautiful, and there should be a place for both of those. Musicals on film shouldn't just be for the people who didn't have the time or money to see them on a stage. It should be an entirely different experience. Which is why I thought "The Winner Takes It All" was totally amazing. She could have found a better balance between typical, realistic hand motions and ones that are typically associated with communicating via a song performance (and acting out the words? Not so good), but for the most part it was just so real. It was clearly there in her face and the way she held herself and moved throughout the song, and in the moments where her voice cracked and everything. Meryl is all about subtlety and real moments, and that scene was overflowing with all the qualities I've always recognized her for.
So, yeah. I can't really fangirl her permanently for like a million reasons, but sometimes it's nice to just watch a performance of something and enjoy it and just want to rewatch it a zillion times. Because she is quite fabulous.
I was planning to hate this movie so hard. And there were still things that bothered me about it, mostly the direction, the choreography, and the whole "hey, let's write a story around a bunch of ABBA songs and turn it into a musical" idea, which I think is pretty moronic in general. But other than the terrible clash of those three elements, I really enjoyed it. To me, the songs weren't quite as obnoxious as the original versions, which was awesome, and I loved that I could just have fun watching it. I forget where I read this, but it was an interview where Meryl said something about how she liked to do this type of role role, with tripping into goats, ridiculous crying, and crazy dancing, because it was empowering for a woman of her age. I definitely got that vibe when I was watching it, and I can see why it would be so much fun to be a part of it.
That said, I thought her performance was totally genuine and human, especially for a musical built around such an inherently flawed premise. I've never really been a fan of musicals, particularly those on film, because I rarely feel the connection between "putting on a show" with musical numbers and keeping to the modern subtle style of film. To me, it's like how actors used to totally overact in early films because they were just so used to working on the stage and didn't know quite how to tone it down yet. You can do one of Shakespeare's monologues and put on a show and be all over the place, but you can also say the words quietly and succinctly and it has the potential to be incredibly beautiful, and there should be a place for both of those. Musicals on film shouldn't just be for the people who didn't have the time or money to see them on a stage. It should be an entirely different experience. Which is why I thought "The Winner Takes It All" was totally amazing. She could have found a better balance between typical, realistic hand motions and ones that are typically associated with communicating via a song performance (and acting out the words? Not so good), but for the most part it was just so real. It was clearly there in her face and the way she held herself and moved throughout the song, and in the moments where her voice cracked and everything. Meryl is all about subtlety and real moments, and that scene was overflowing with all the qualities I've always recognized her for.
So, yeah. I can't really fangirl her permanently for like a million reasons, but sometimes it's nice to just watch a performance of something and enjoy it and just want to rewatch it a zillion times. Because she is quite fabulous.