"Pitch Perfect" Reviewed (More Or Less)
I wandered in "Pitch Perfect" the way I so often do, killing time before a concert and despite loving Anna Kendrick in "Up In The Air" (though she disappeared into the wood work with the "Twilight" series) expected nothing much from "Pitch Perfect about competitive college a cappella bands. What I thought it would be was something like those dance off movies like "StreetDance 2 3D". But no, "Pitch Perfect" is a clever mix of romance and romance with some real good vocal groups singing modern dance hits.
Directed by neophyte Jason Moore and based upon Mickey Rapkin's book, Anna is the damaged by her parents divorce Beca, a loner till her father forces who to participate in something, anything, in college and Beca chooses the a cappella group the Barden Bella lead by mean girl Anna Camp. The BB's are the usual (heavily referenced) Breakfast Club-y weirdos, the fat girl, the slut, the lesbian -though each role is clearly defined.
Love interest Skylar Astin we know from his role in the Broadway musical "Spring Awakening" and he sings well and is just good looking enough as the long suffering boyfriend wannabe and competitor of Beca.
"Pitch Perfect" is fun, just light enough, and always building to find musical scenes where the bands mash up current hits and perform them a cappella. The chorus sing the melody, and a soloist takes the lead and the singers share the spotlight depending upon the moment in the song. Definitely, it is fun to hear pop songs like Bruno Mars "Just The Way You Are" and Cee Lo Green's "Bright Lights, Bigger City" sung with no production or multi-tracking. Mars stands up particularly well.
The movie goes exactly where we knew it was going to from the first set but it gets there as sweetly as possible
Also, it is interesting to see how Becca creates music on her PC. Yes, we have all seen people doing but it is fun to imagine her in an earlier age with an acoustic guitar writing music. By sampling and mixing is she still being creative? Is it the same?
A special mention to Bridesmaid Rebel Wilson who actually does make fat fun and sexy.
Movie: B+
Music: A-
