Mama Mia!

I got a surprise present from Simon for Christmas. It's a surprise present because Simon forgot that he had bought it for me, forgot to wrap it up and didn't give it to me until yesterday. But on the other hand it wasn't a surprise because Simon only remembered it while we were listening to Mark Kermode's review of the films of the year and they played an excert of Mark's review of Mama Mia!, on our way to Norwich. That was when Si pipped up, "Ohh I've got you a present."

Only problem is I'm very nervous about watching the film as I'm afraid that there is no way it is going to be as good as Mark Kermode's review of it.


Apologies to readers who are not based in the UK but you may well not be able to see the video.

I'm also nervous because you see, like the good doctor, I love Abba in a non post ironic way. The first album I ever got was Arrival, and I played it over and over again, I used to watch everything I could about them on telly, we used to play "Abba" in the playground at school. I was only 7 at the time and they made a big impression on me, I still have that LP somewhere. So I am incredibly wary of tongue in cheek "homages" to the group, or dodgy musicals with a plot created by listing Abba song titles in any old order, I still haven't really forgive Erasure for their cover versions. You don't mess with Abba.

I won't be watching the DVD with an "Oh look at me, aren't I being tremendously 'girly' and knowing in a slightly fag haggy sort of way" no, I will be watching to see if it lives up to the promise of Mark Kermode's review and with my Inner 7 year-old who always took her entertainment very seriously because that's what small children do.