Rocky Raccoon 2008-07-03
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
`Abba The Movie' is for Abba-philes only (myself included). This doesn't mean there won't be some reservations for fans as well, but while the movie is carefully constructed, the results are mixed but more favorable than not. The career equivalent of `A Hard Day's Night,' Abba's feature movie splices concert footage, videos, group information with an intermittent story. The result is an unintentional mockumentary before they became invented. Filmed in 1977, the material covers all their work up to 'The Album.'
The Plot: Abbamania comes in full force to Australia where a station manager (Bruce Berry) crustily sends his country music D.J., Ashley Wallace (Robert Hughes) to get a two-hour interview with the Swedish super group before the week is through.
Evaluation: Abba's best suit is in the studio. Ashley interviews one critic who perceptively states the band couldn't create the same song twice because they'd have to take every step they took to make it in the first place. In the studio, they were wonderkinds using the (then) latest equipment. This gives their concerts mixed results, but no one expects this movie to be the greatest concert film in rock history.
Concert highlights: All the participants are warm and enthusiastic. Some of the unheralded songs (read non-smash hits) are great picks and translate well in concert. "Why Did It Have to Be Me?" "I've Been Waiting for You," and "When I Kissed the Teacher" show the band in their finest form. Sometimes voices are substandard in concert, but their vocals, particularly the women's, are just as terrific as on their records. Benny does an outstanding nimble performance of their instrumental "Intermezzo" just like a concert pianist. The dance moves and costumes are thoughtful nuances, making a real show.
Concert midlights: Big hits "Fernando," "S.O.S," "Money, Money, Money," and "Dancing Queen" resonate well enough with a minor complaint that sometimes the latter classic needed slightly more accompaniment.
Concert lowlights: Songs like "He's Your Brother" "So Long," and "Rock Me" demonstrate that when they do a song more slowly live than the original, it's deadly to the concert's spirit. Unfortunately, a few songs probably got their live performances pigeon-holed by the critics.
Videos: A dream sequence has Ashley meeting Abba to the sounds of "The Name of the Game," the studio version which makes more than an above average video. "The Eagle" is flashy and one of the most visually appealing moments.
During Ashley's assignment, his research yields facts about each member:
Anni-Frid: (The brunette) Was born in Norway. "Unassuming," she expresses the most enthusiasm about the tour at a press conference. She's the lead on "Money, Money, Money" et al.
Benny: Seen playing the most instruments, Benny is a virtuoso who looks and acts more like a rock star than any other member. Although sporting a beard, his smile is the broadest. (Perhaps the McCartney of the songwriting duo.) His English is also the best.
Bjorn: "Intelligent" and the most fluent in foreign languages, Bjorn has the money brains, just like their manager. He admits that touring can be "a-social". As much as I like the band, I felt they put too much make up on him. (Perhaps the Lennon of the songwriting duo.)
Agnetha: (The blonde) Besides having a honey voice, she admits that while touring she loses track of what city she's in. (In a later documentary, Agnetha, still a Swedish pop star, admitted she was too petrified to travel to the opening of 'Mamma Mia' in the U.K., and for the same reason, she found touring unbearable.) After strutting her stuff on the stage, one Aussie headline reads, Agnetha's "Bottom Tops Show".
Stig Anderson: The group manager is the "fifth ABBA" (although that would make them ABBAS); he occasionally co-wrote songs with Benny and Bjorn.
Plot Contrivances: First of all, the pop D.J. is sick, so they send country D.J. Ashley instead. (It's a nice way to start the film, though; it looks and sounds like 'Little House on the Prairie' with footage of kangaroos in the Outback. I wondered if I was watching the right film.) Next, to ensure Ashley hits the whole Australian tour, he feebly presents himself to the band and loses his press badge along the way. Add to that the station manager's hit and miss deliveries of a new one. Natually, the handlers keep him at arm's length. Dang it! Why doesn't he just tell them he's from a Sydney radio station, for Pete's sake, instead of pointing his microphone at them and inviting them to lunch! In all fairness, there is suspense to go along with our disgust at the stupid-moves-to-keep-the-plot-going trajectory.
Acting: Robert Hughes is decent and naturally believable as the fumbling Ashley Wallace. Bruce Barry suffers from overbearing character actor syndrome.
Best features: The editing is excellent. The footage of fans, recreating the energy of crowds, the timely way merchandise and images are fused together is marvelous! A brisk stage set up sets the standard. The backwards forwards bit during "I'm a Marionette" is a clever touch, but goes on too long. The cutest scene is listening to ballerina girls sing "Ring, Ring". Yes, it's contrived, like the movie plot, but it still works.
(Look for 'Mamma Mia' sometime this summer. Meryl Streep stars and shows that she has enough Oscars to take only the roles she finds fun or sport her favorite cause. Gosh, I hope the movie is better than the crowd pleasing Broadway smash. I saw an excerpt on 'The Today Show,' and it was horrible: poorly sung and mawkishly presented, but a backhand compliment to the group who made all the music possible.) "Thank You for the Music". Yes, indeed.
(The day after my review posted, Reuters showed a picture of a "rare" reunion where all four members showed up to join Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, and company for the Swedish opening of 'Mamma Mia' the film July 4th.)
