While most summer movies sink under the weight of expectations they can rarely fulfill, some others show up almost unassumingly and prove to be truly delightful experiences, such is the case with Walking on Sunshine, an unexpectedly enjoyable musical that could very well be sold as an “if you liked Mamma Mia…” project, but actually gets a better job done. The premise is simple, while on vacation in Apulia, pragmatic Taylor (Hannah Arterton) falls in love with Italian stud Raf (Giulio Berruti) only to leave him behind and dismiss him as a “summer fling” she will likely never see again. She is proven wrong when three years later she sees him again as he’s become engaged to her carefree sister Maddie (Annabel Scholey), who is using him to get over her breakup with Doug (Greg Wise). It’s clear from the get-go who belongs with whom, but the love tangle is used as a clever backdrop for the film to use famous pop tunes from the 80s to have characters express their emotions.
From its incredibly charming opening number which sees Taylor sing Madonna’s “Holiday” as she arrives in the airport, to her eventual heartfelt rendition of “If I Could Turn Back Time”, it’s clear that screenwriter Joshua St. Johnson is a firm believer in the power of pop. Instead of using the songs as excuses to have the characters burst into song, he reminds us that most of these tunes have been dismissed through the years for not being substantial enough. The film doesn’t try hard to deliver grand messages or take monolithic aesthetic positions, but merely by having characters sing these songs, and not merely have them as background music, the film is making it clear that whether we like it or not, 80’s music affected people more than they’re willing to accept.
Of course, needless to say so there is also a lot of fun to be had with the songs, and as proven in numbers like “How Will I Know” in which Taylor wonders whether her paramour loves her or not, as more than a dozen beachgoers sing along with her can’t help but put a huge smile on viewers. Perhaps the film works so well because it knows exactly what it is and it goes for it shamelessly. The characters are rom-com stereotypes, but they bloody well know it, from Maddie’s dimwitted idealist, to the caddish, but extremely sexy Doug, all of the characters serve their purpose dutifully. More than Mamma Mia, the film is more like an irresistible fruity cocktail, as long as you know how many to have, you’ll be just fine.
Walking on Sunshine is available on VOD and iTunes.
