Blu-ray Review – Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell

The musical "Mamma Mia!" has been celebrated on a global scale, becoming one of the most popular theatrical productions in history, also sustaining outstanding business as a 2009 feature film. While its true fingerprint originates from the music of ABBA, exploring a subgenre known as the "jukebox musical," the story has also captured imagination, romanticizing the idea of an older woman reuniting with three lovers after decades apart, unsure which individual is the true father of her adult daughter. It all appears jovial, madcap, and perhaps a little amorous, but "Mamma Mia!" apparently owes a debt to an obscure 1968 comedy titled "Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell." Trading Greek islands for an Italian village, the picture creates a farcical take on paternity and long-held affection, only skipping on the ABBA tunes and wild costuming. I'm honestly surprised there wasn't some type of legal action taken against writer Catherine Johnson, who liberally takes from the amiable but overdone "Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell," reworking its key elements to fit primary dramatic demands of the initial West End production. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com