Pitch Perfect is
unashamedly riding the Glee wave. Right from the acapella Universal Pictures
introduction, the camp factor is ramped up and we’re thrown head-first into
show choir singing.
Yet Jason Moore’s film isn’t quite the cheese-fest you might
be expecting. The plot focuses on Beca
(Anna Kendrick), an aspiring DJ starting college and forced by her overbearing
father to ‘take part’. Despite
confessing to not being a singer, she joins The Bellas (the campus all-female
acapella choir in competition with male rivals the Treblemakers) and ends up becoming
the star performer. So far, so
predictable.
What makes the film so enjoyable is its ability to poke fun
at itself and satirise choir singing, whilst remaining reverent to its
influences. Though based on typical
college tropes, the film amusingly subverts stereotypes with its cast of goofy,
colourful characters. One scene sees the
girls confessing their secrets in a sort of circle of trust, but their
confessions are anything but predictable.
This is a fat-hearted film that’s heart-warming without being
sickening. Instead, you’ll be vomiting
laughter throughout. The comedy is
witty, outlandish and utterly random, without stooping to vulgarities.
Music fans will appreciate not only the puns but the
soundtrack. Like the narrative, it takes
typical song choices and mashes them together unexpectedly. Beca’s DJ sets are also well mixed, though
sadly missing from the CD soundtrack. The
singing itself might be heavily processed (the lead actresses chosen are known
for their comedy rather than their voices), but who cares when the music is
cleverly employed, the routines are thoroughly enjoyable and the performances are equally loveable and hysterical?
As Beca, Anna Kendrick continues her gradual domination of
Hollywood. Her breakthrough might have
been in Twilight, but since then she’s
appeared in films as varied as Scott
Pilgrim vs The World, 50/50 and last year’s excellent End Of Watch. Her percussive-vocal
performance of “Cups” is praiseworthy alone. As natural and watchable as she is on screen
though, Pitch Perfect is stolen by
Rebel Wilson. The fresh face of
Hollywood comedy, her funny bone is ten times the size of her frame and her
delivery is timed to perfection.
At the heart of Pitch
Perfect is its emphasis on sorority and female empowerment (especially in
the male dominated music industry). Thanks
initially to Twilight, young, female
orientated cinema is undoubtedly on the rise.
But, far from cashing in on this fad, Pitch Perfect is a film with universal appeal. The references to 80s classic The Breakfast Club are unabashed, but
the parallels are obvious. Forget
sparkly vampires, this is the teen film of the generation.
Aca-awesome.
4/5