Get pitch-slapped.
The Lowdown: Every once in a while, there comes along a movie that, at first glance, seems wretch-worthy. Then it turns out to surpass all expectations with how much enthusiasm, energy, and offbeat hilarity it provides. For me, that film is Pitch Perfect. I recall watching the trailer and instantly thinking that it would be a bad film. Teen rom-com and studio-tuned a-cappella in the same note as Glee? No thanks. So I avoided the film. In the meantime, I was shocked that many friends of mine who had seen the film were raving about it. A lot of them had seen it at least three times! So recently, I sat down to watch Pitch Perfect…and now I think it’s one of the funniest comedies I’ve seen in the past few years.
1. The Plot: The Barden Bellas are an all-female, university a-cappella group that finally makes it to the finals, but chokes at the last second, resulting in an epic catastrophic failure. One year later marks the arrival of Beca (Anna Kendrick) to the university, though she has no interest in college life. Instead, she aspires to be a DJ, but her father (John Benjamin Hickey) is a professor at the university and is adamant that Beca get a college degree first. In the meantime, the Bellas are looking for new recruits, which is difficult given their disgrace the previous year. An initial attempt to recruit Beca is unsuccessful, but Beca is eventually persuaded to audition when Chloe (Brittany Snow), one of the Bellas, discovers that Beca can indeed sing. Unsurprisingly, Beca passes her audition, but begins to observe the fatal shortcomings of the group; namely, the rigid adherence to “tradition” and the oppressive attitude of Aubrey (Anna Camp), the leader of the Bellas. Beca, however, has a fresher perspective on things, and works to get the Bellas’ groove back.
Step 1: Horizontal running.
2. The Characters: Why did I enjoy this film to death? Because of the aca-mazing cast, of course! The lovely Anna Kendrick (End of Watch, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) is Beca, the single-minded protagonist. All she ever wanted to do was become a DJ, but she sheltered herself from real life. Then of course, she finds love in the slightly-dopey but affectionate Jesse, played by Skylar Astin (Wreck-It Ralph). She also finds new ways to open up and apply her talents when she joins the Bellas. Check out her rendition of Cups (You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone). Of course, Beca faces opposition. There is the issue of Aubrey (Anna Camp), the authoritative “beyotch” character and head of the Bellas. Though she has the singing talent, she can’t seem to grasp the fact that her unwillingness to break tradition is what is holding the Bellas back. Beca and Chloe (Brittany Snow) try their best to change things up, but Aubrey is a stubborn one. There is also the issue of Jesse, Beca’s love interest. Unfortunately, he is a member of the Treblemakers, the Bellas’ all-male a-cappella rival, and it is forbidden for a Bella to be romantically involved with a Treblemaker. The leader of the Treblemakers is Bumper (Adam DeVine), who is basically the yin to Aubrey’s yang. However, by far the best supporting character in the film is Fat Amy, played with great gusto by Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids, Pain and Gain). Her wacky antics and crack comic timing enable her to steal virtually every scene she is in. Fat Amy is anything but subtle, delivering ribald and raunchy jokes without any regard for how people will react to them. If Fat Amy’s got anything, it’s guts. Excellent comic relief is also provided by Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins as a couple of sarcastic commentators that treat a-cappella competitions like sporting events.
Hahaha, that's right John! (Sigh) God, I hate this job.
3. A Cappella: While Pitch Perfect’s soundtrack is chock-full of the hit songs du jour, the songs sung in the film sound decidedly less sanitized and soulless than the Gleesoundtracks. While I’m sure that a good portion of the soundtrack has been studio-tuned, Pitch Perfect imparts enthusiasm into the singing. A cappella is an underrated music form, I feel, so it’s also nice to see a film make it a part of its story without making it too contrived.
REEEEMIIIIIIXXX!!!
The Bottom Line: Pitch Perfect is aca-awesome. That’s about all I can really say. The plot is formulaic, but the film is so energetic and dynamic that there isn’t much room for boredom. The cast is spot-on, the humor is offbeat and gut-bustingly hilarious, and the tunes are infectiously catchy. The bottom line: Pitch Perfecthits the right notes.Pitch Perfectis property of Brownstone Productions and Gold Circle Films. This review was written by me.
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