Mamma Mia!

The movie based on ABBA songs.
(pity I don’t have a mirrored “B” on my keyboard solely for the purpose of spelling ABBA logo)

Well, I’ve been an Abba fan “since I don’t know when”, – see, it’s in the speech! So I can, with all confidence say: what’s common about most of their songs (except, maybe, for more abstract ones, like “Eagle”, which I’m nonetheless very fond of) is that they are all driven by real life, therefore, perfectly match to everyday situations. I’ve caught myself many times humming “I have a dream” on my way home, or “summer night city”, well, at night in summer...
These are episodic moments however, yet it requires a lot of thought to link all these songs to amusing events in a logical story. In this movie it was done smartly, with lots of humour and a touch of irony.
The other thing which I enjoyed about it, is a somewhat brave and unexpected decision on where the story takes place.
I've always imagined the events, pictured in Abba songs, taking place in some cold Northern setting. Which, to my mind, emphasizes the warmth of the music and lyrics. Perhaps this was implied by some snowy music videos, like “Knowing me, knowing you” for instance...
So, what I’m trying to say here, is that the Mediterranean setting was a total shock for me, though a pleasant one! Surprisingly, it’s perfectly seamless – everything is going on just like it would, if Abba were number one in Greek charts – local disco features “Super trooper”, people at the market sing “Money, money”... They even changed the original score, to feature some authentic Mediterranean instruments!
Detailed to such extent, coming up with a fresh interpretation, yet retaining those nostalgic melodies, this movie is a must see for everyone who misses the Swedish Quartet.