Pitch Perfect, a movie about a college a capella group, highlights music and comedy
by Lindsey Meredith
A capella music, comedy, and talented actors. Pitch Perfect contains all these qualities. Although the plot may not be deep, Pitch Perfect is a fun, carefree movie.
Pitch Perfect is a musical comedy about a college all girl a capella group at fictional Barden University, on their way to win a national championship. Beca (Anna Kendrick) is at Barden University because her father forces her, but Beca would rather be deejaying in L.A. When Beca gets roped into the Bella’s she tries to turn the group to sing more current and popular music, which the Bella’s leader Aubrey (Anna Camp) doesn’t like. Beca also has a romance brewing with Jesse (Skylar Astin) who is a member of the rival all male a cappella group, the Treblemakers.
One of the best things about this movie is the music. There is a variety of music in this movie, from mixed tracks to a capella.
Because Beca wants to be a DJ, in the movie you hear several mixed tracks. These mixed tracks are the blending of usually two different songs do not seem that they would work together but somehow do. One mixed track that is played is a mashup of 500 Miles by the Proclaimers and Titanium by David Guetta. Two songs that don’t seem like they would blend well, but it is one of the best songs in the movie.
The a cappella music in the movie is what makes the movie worth watching. The coolest scenes is the movie, is that where the riff-off occurs. The riff-off contains all different songs in it from Mickey by Toni Basil to No Diggity by Blackstreet. All one after the other, sung spontaneously as the person thinks of it and with no instruments to give them even a pitch. Another cool a cappella moment is hearing the songs you hear everyday on the radio like Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars song with no instruments but not being able to tell. The music in the movie has a huge effect of the overall movie.
The funniest lines in this movie comes from either minor characters or Rebel Wilson. The commentators of the a cappella competitions add a lot of the humor to the movie even though they are in the movie for around five minutes. Another character that adds to the humor of the movie, is Lilly played by Hana Mae Lee. Lilly is a member of the Bella’s, and her humor is that she talks so quietly that no one can hear her. And when you do hear her, she says the strangest things. But the actress that makes the movie the comedy it is, is Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy. Wilson known for Bridesmaid and Bachelorette makes you laugh from her first introduction in the movie. She introduces herself as Fat Amy and when questioned about it she simply puts “so twig bitches like you don’t do it behind my back.” She continues to have lines like this throughout the movie and continues to make you laugh out loud.
Pitch Perfect is the first movie that Anna Kendrick was the lead and her role of Beca is an interesting character. Kendrick has had supporting roles in Up in the Air and the Twilight Saga but she stepped into the spotlight in this movie. She made the character come to life as the girl thrust into the crazy world of a cappella. Kendrick also adds herself musically. When she sings The Cup Song, in which she only accompanies herself with only a plastic cup, you can tell Kendrick was the right choice for the part.
Although there are a lot of well done elements in this movie, the plot is not one of them. The plot is not deep at all. It briefly mentions friendship but too late in the movie to be important. And there are some weird transitions that confuse you in the plot.
Pitch Perfect is a must see movie for all those who enjoy creative and different music, laugh out loud lines, and doesn’t care if there it is plot driven or not.
Image courtesy of Universal Pictures