Everything in excess

Hi, Kenneth Turan. I heartily agree with your summation that perhaps Mamma Mia! got a little out of control with the dance numbers, the singing, the general downpour of estrogen. But you know what - not to advance tired stereotypical gender differences here - but you, sir, found it pretty freaking awesome in The Dark Knight that they managed to flip over an entire 18-wheeler and got it to look even better than a CGI trick, right? Here's what you said:

"Nolan and Pfister have actually upped the ante by filming six of the film's action sequences, including the remarkable flipping of an 18-wheel, 40-foot tractor-trailer, with a 65-millimeter Imax camera, meaning that they have an extra sharpness when shrunken to fit into a 35mm print."

And I agree - totally badass! But the ladies I spoke with don't remember the 18-wheeler. The things that are memorable to girls tend to be things like, well, Meryl Streep jumping up and down on a bed:



Like she did in Mamma Mia! So I'm just saying. Right on with your film reviews - both of them, The Dark Knight and Mamma Mia!, and, full disclosure, I have a worn-out copy of your book Never Coming to a Theatre Near You - but I'm compelled to point out that sometimes men and women take away different things from different films. Is all.

Ok so guys, I don't know if Pierce Brosnan is supposed to be the most hilarious part of this movie or what, but I have never laughed so hard in my life as I did at him belting it out to a synthesized, ABBA-approved soundtrack. Harder, in fact, than watching Richard Gere tap-dance for Chicago. Do y'all remember that? Think that level of ridiculousness x 50. Pierce Brosnan, you stole my heart! For the man who always plays it cool - way to haul out your cheese. Brava!

My rec? Ladies - and only the ladies who get a kick out of big, frothy wedding movies - go see it. Together. It's not a date movie. For boy-girl hetero couples, anyway - I think Jeff, Jon, and Eddy (all gay) would sincerely love it. Boys, do you?

And one last thing - there is nothing Meryl Streep can't do, I've decided. Dinner with one person in the world? For me - it's her. Love you lady.