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Two central fixations struck me after this afternoon’s viewing (my third in just over a week) of the movie, Mamma Mia.

One, I keep seeing more delicate subtle touches throughout the film and two; I appreciate Abba’s songs more than I ever did before.

Catherine Johnson’s screenplay is a masterpiece. I don’t know how much time she spent on the original play, but it must have been into the months, rather than weeks. Now to transfer it to the big screen she’s achieved another stunning success in making changes that bring the stage show to further life.

I don’t know if the extra touches were Ms Johnsons’s or director Phyllida Lloyd’s ideas, but I expect I’ll have to watch it over and over again when it comes out on DVD to spot more and I doubt I ever will locate them all. Stavros in many disguises is a regular visitor to the screen, but you’ll have to see it to witness what I mean. Meryl Streep humming ‘Fernando’ while on her way to the goat house will be easy to see, but spot the Greek bystanders and staff singing backing vocals to the star’s songs shows how well the Abba songs were constructed.

One of my favourite songs has always been ‘Take A Chance On Me.’ In the movie they turn it around so the opening is sung at the end of the song; it works so well perhaps Benny & Bjorn might have jigged it around had they known.

This brings us to those Benny and Bjorn songs. I admit it, the melodies were so strong, and the chorus’ so easy to sing along to, that there was hardly time to dissect the actual words. Now there’s time to do just that and here we find such beautiful and skilled writing that Catherine Johnson had a great head start in finding a theme for her stage play. Abba songs are mostly sad songs that we all remember as happy songs; they certainly liven up any radio station or karaoke. The backing vocals and musicianship is elaborate, even when they make it simple. That’s the sign of the Beatles.

Amanda Seyfried’s over closing credits version of ‘Thank You for the Music’ is in a league of its own. Each time I see the film I am tempted to tell people not to leave too soon. They’ll miss ‘Waterloo’ but they’ll also miss ‘Thank You for the Music’.

Gross revenue from the movie has topped over $450 million. It might just get to the $500 mark. Now what did I say previously about the academy awards people getting into gear over this movie?

Julie Walters just gets funnier every screening.

Now just where can I get to see it again next week…?

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