Double Feature Day

This weekend was a big one for the Box Office! With all of the hype about The Dark Night, I knew that one was on my "must-see" list. In addition to the Batman flick, I had recently seen a preview for Mamma Mia! and thought it looked cute. Thus, the Double Feature day! So, hold tight, here are my reviews:

I'll begin with Mamma Mia! My mom and I decided to catch a matinee showing of this movie. I will admit that I am a fan of ABBA and can't resist singing along with their songs when I hear them. However, this film was not quite what I had expected. I have not seen the stage production of the musical, so could not really make any comparisons. The story was a decent one; but I am not convinced that this was the best cast for the job! Don't get me wrong, it was a fun movie and I truly enjoyed it! It is just that when I see a musical, I want to be blown away by the vocal capabilities of the actors. That wasn't the case here!

Amanda Seyfried plays Sophie, whom the entire story revolves around. Sophie, 20 years old and wistful, is getting married and wants her father to be in attendance for the big day. The only problem is that she does not know her father! However, she stumbles upon her mother's (played by the Meryl Streep) diary which illumines the possibility of three different men being her father. So, she invites all three without warning her mother of her plan! And chaos ensues...

Although Meryl Streep has been trained in singing, I felt that her vocal performance was decent at times but not awe-inspiring. Amanda Seyfried actually has a really lovely tone and does a nice job with her role. The cast of characters including Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth (who I love!) and Christine Baranski fell just a tad below the mark for me.

What I can say is that it was apparent that this cast had a complete blast filming this movie. You can see it in their faces and the energy with which they approached their roles! That alone makes it fun to watch keeping a smile on your face the whole time. By the way, it's set in Greece and the setting itself is a gorgeous character! I have always dreamed of going to Greece...so here was my way of living a bit vicariously. So, all in all...if you are an ABBA fan and don't mind a little bit of corniness...see this movie. I don't know that I would deem this as one that must be seen on the big screen. If anyone else has seen this movie, I would love to hear your review.

After Mamma Mia, I headed home for a quick dinner and a nice leisurely walk around the area. One thing I do love about summer is that I can begin my walk around 8 and it's still light out! As dusk set, the fireflies were out in full force. It was a very mystical feel to the end of my walk. The wind blowing, fireflies blinking and the smell of fresh flowers. Ah! When I got home I had about 40 minutes to spare ~ it was a long walk~ until the next movie. So, I did a little reading and then rounded up my bro to head out for an early arrival.

We picked up our other late-night moviegoer, Max, and were on our way. The movie started at 10:40 and we arrived to a packed balcony. WOW. This was the second night of this movie...and the theatres were still hopping. I was a little worried that I might fall asleep due to the length of the movie and the time we chose. Well, no concern there!

This movie was amazing! I am not a tried and true Batman fan; however, this movie lived up to the hype. It had the perfect balance of all the movie elements. Surprise, romance, fear, comedy...you name it, I could probably find an example of it! Anyhow, SEE THIS MOVIE and preferably on the big screen. Christian Bale does a great job of playing the sophisticated Bruce Wayne/Batman character, complemented by Michael Caine as the trusty butler, Alfred. Supporting actors Aaron Eckhart and Maggie Gyllenhaal kept the story interesting.

The man who stole the show was Heath Ledger. His Joker was so captivating. Every time he appeared onscreen I held my face in concern fear. He was so maniacal and yet so entrancing. I know that some of the record-breaking ticket sales were due to the untimely death of this incredible actor; this was his golden role. Personally, I think that this performance is Oscar worthy...and I would think that even if he had not passed away. He really stretched his limits and embraced a deviant character with perfection. His mannerisms and character traits were well honed. In all honesty, I thought for sure I would have nightmares about the Joker!

I repeat: GO SEE THIS MOVIE!