Meryl Streep, Penelope Cruz offer up romance

“Sex and the City” showed that women do go to the movies, but will they turn out for more female-driven fare? And can a singing Meryl Streep be the one who guides the ladies into theaters? She croons ABBA tunes in “Mamma Mia!,” while Scarlett Johansson shows why she’s Woody Allen’s favorite ingénue in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” Johansson's love scene with co-star Penelope Cruz may have men lining up at the theater, too.

“Mamma Mia!”

Video   'Mama Mia!' Meryl Streep stars in this big screen adaptation of the ABBA-packed Broadway musical. Buena Vista Pictures

Starring: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Story: Rosie (Seyfried) wants her wedding to be perfect — and she needs her dad to be there. One problem: She has no idea who he is. But looking through her mom’s (Streep) diary lets her narrow the possibilities to three men (Brosnan, Firth, Skarsgard). Unbeknownst to mom, Rosie invites all three in the hopes of finding out the truth. The film is based on the Broadway musical featuring the songs of ABBA. And yes, Streep, Firth and company will be singing them.
One to watch? Maybe. Musicals are very hit (“Chicago”) and miss (“The Producers”). Streep can sing (as evidenced by “Postcards From the Edge”), and show creator Judy Craymer told USA Today that Brosnan “does a sexy Springsteen-style thing.” Colin Firth joked to   Hollywood Direct that his “singing is probably catastrophic, the dancing is probably a little bit worse than the singing.” 
Web site:  http://www.mammamiamovie.com/
Release date:  July 18

“The Accidental Husband”

Yari Film Group The Accidental Husband

Starring: Uma Thurman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Colin Firth, Sam Shepard, Isabella Rossellini
Director:  Griffin Dunne
Story: When radio therapist Dr. Emma Lloyd (Thurman) convinces a woman not to marry firefighter Patrick Sullivan (Morgan), he seeks revenge. Sullivan convinces his computer hacker neighbor to make it seem that Patrick is legally married to Emma, thus thwarting her upcoming marriage to Richard (Firth). But will this unlikely marriage lead to love?
One to watch? No. The film premiered in the U.K. back in February, and the reviews weren’t favorable. The London Sun wrote, “This ludicrous effort is more catastrophe than accident,” while the BBC said, “the dialogue flows without any snap or sass and Thurman resorts to falling over and repeatedly bumping her head to get a laugh.” Sounds like one to skip.
Web site: http://www.theaccidentalhusbandmovie.com/
Release date: Aug. 22

“Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Starring: Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson,  Rebecca Hall, Javier Bardem, Patricia Clarkson, Kevin Dunn, Chris Messina
Director: Woody Allen
Story: Two girlfriends, Vicky (Hall) and Cristina (Johansson), take a summer holiday in Barcelona where they meet a painter (Bardem). They strike up a romantic encounter — and then the painter’s fiery ex-wife (Cruz) enters the picture and complicates things.
One to watch? Yes. Variety called the film “a sexy, funny divertissement that passes as enjoyably as an idle summer's afternoon,” and added, “The film is all about sexual attraction and what to do about it.” Co-star Hall told critic Emanuel Levy, “I think Woody’s looking into the tension between the fantasyland of love and the real world. The things you live with as opposed to the things you dream about.”
Web site: N/A
Release date: Aug. 29

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