Mamma Mia unsettles high minded film critic AO Scott

AO Scott is what the French call an 'amateur de films' or as he would say, a film critic at the august newspaper of note the New York Times. Reading today's www.nyt.com, his review of Mamma Mia! is on the lower fold of the first page of the Arts & Leisure section. Mr. Scott doesn't like it. It's his right not to, but mid way into his words, he takes aim at Phyllida Lloyd for a messy, unkempt film. Yet, his pique is reserved for Abba and what he would consider vapid songs, yet he does acknowledge that some of the group's songs are highly polished. Nonetheless, on the whole, for him, it's all chocolate and vanilla pudding topped with marshmellows. Mr. Scott is high minded, no low brow, silliness will his eye tolerate. 18Brumaire wouldn't dare pretend to think what the late Pauline Kael might say, but at least, she found whimsy and fun in good bad films, which Scott simply thinks is a bad film in Mamma Mia! Lighten up, old starched shirt, loosen your tie, and chill out! You cannot. You're looking for art for art's sake in film...go to Cannes or Venice or Berlin or Toronto, and seek it out there. Apparently Abba's songs do not set off chimes of youth and fun and simple pleasure for him. Was he born old?