Movie Review: Pitch Perfect

Pitch Perfect was the perfect film to see on a cloudy, slightly chilly Sunday. I really enjoyed it. As readers of this blog know, I love a singing competition and my favorite is not American Idol or even X-Factor or The Voice but, it’s actually, The Sing-Off. Various a capella groups get together and sing. Sure, there is a cash prize and a recording contract, but Iget the feeling that these groups are formed for one reason and one reason only, and that is to sing. Pitch Perfect captured that fun, well, perfectly.

Beca (Anna Kendrick) is a wannabe deejay whose college professor father wants her to get a college eduation before she heads off to Los Angeles to find deejaying fame. What she finds is a campus filled with a capella groups including the all-male national champions, the Treble Makers, and runner-up the Bellas led by task master Aubrey (Anna Camp) and her nicer half, Chloe (Brittany Snow). Aubrey is convinced, the only way to national success is to have her hot group of girl singers sing traditional a capella songs. She’s running into two problems. Auditions make it clear that she’s going to have to dramatically expand her definition of hot girls. New members include Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson), black lesbian Cynthia Rose (Ester Dean) and others who don’t fit the mold. Secondly, she insists on using the same songs and routines that got them to nationals the year before.

Beca has other plans for the group, as well as a love interest in Jesse (Skylar Astin) who sings with the competition.

When I left Pitch Perfect, my thoughts immediately went to a movie released in June, Magic Mike. Stay with me now. Magic Mike promised to be the ultimate girls night out film. However, the movie us girls saw was not the same as the one that was promised. It was a lot more serious and there was a lot less stripping and dancing than we’d wanted. With Pitch Perfect, the audience wanted light comedy, lots of singing and fun – that’s exactly what the movie delivered.

The singing and performances were on point. Sure, it’s hard to believe that the Bellas ever got to nationals with the songs and routines they were doing but this is not a film where thinking to hard will work in your favor. Just sit back and enjoy it.