Tuesday, November 06, 2012

Review - Pitch Perfect (2012)



Starring Anna Kendricks, Skylar Astin and Rebel Wilson.
Directed by Jason Moore.

Actresses on the rise Anna Kendricks and Rebel Wilson both star in this vibrant and charming teen comedy - Pitch Perfect. Definitely one of the surprises of 2012, Pitch Perfect was rather funny and engaging. The movie starts off with parallel stories. First we meet "The Bellas", a struggling all female Acapella singing group performing in an Acapella competition but they were eliminated. The movie switches over to Beca (Anna Kendrick), an aspiring young deejay and new college student. It turns out that Beca is attending the college that "The Bellas" are enrolled. The story comes together when Beca joins the group, along with a few other misfits. Despite challenges and intense rivalry, the group slowly bonds and give us a movie filled with energy and laughter.

First and foremost I totally loved the musical numbers in this film. They will have you singing along to the covers of current and throwback hit songs. Despite the difference in personalities of the group, the characters were able to sell the acapella pieces perfectly. Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) was the highlight however, even though Anna Kendricks was just as charming. Fat Amy carried this movie with her funny, although sometimes cheesy punchlines and gimmicks.

Ever since Bring It On burst onto the movie scene, quite a few movie have adapted a similar style and energy. It was pretty much no different in Pitch Perfect either. The movie has a formulaic plot but luckily the humor and performances carried it, along with its great musical numbers. Usually we are accustomed to seeing singing competitions but I have never seen it done acapella style. You will be pretty impressed and entertained by the non-instrumental acapella voices of the groups and competitors and therefore see why the movie is called pitch perfect. The movie may seem a bit cheesy at times but it will have you laughing along the way nonetheless.

Rating: 7.5/10



Movies Also Watched:

Kill List (2011)
Kill List starts out with pretty cliched story of two ex-soldiers with hitmen jobs. But it then transitioned into something dark, disturbing and very interesting. The ending left me baffled at first but once you figure it out, Kill List is a hit. - 8.5/10

The New World (2005)
The story of Pocahontas and colonization is brought to life but this film became pretty lifeless especially in the second half. Despite strong performances from Colin Farrell, The New World felt like something lost in the old world with its drawn out love story. - 5/10

Fat Girl (A ma soeur!) (2001)
A coming of age story of two sisters' relationship and a look into adolescence and sexuality. Fat Girl is fairly acted and has a pretty surprising ending. - 7.5/10

In Bruges (2008)
Dark comedy at its finest is the phrase I use to describe In Bruges. After a job gone wrong, Ray and Ken (Collin Farrell and Brendon Gleeson) chill out in Bruges and their interactions with locals were pretty hilarious and interesting.  In Bruges features a very memorable performance from Colin Farrell and a dark, yet comedic story. - 9/10

Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within (2010)
If you loved City of God, another great product of Brazil, then you will probably enjoy Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within. A look into Rio De Janiero, this time through the eyes of the military. Tense, violent and action packed, this sequel will keep you on the edge. - 8.5/10




2 comments:

  1. Everybody, except for Anna Kendrick, is funny and energetic and they all definitely make this movie a lot better than it had any darn right to be in the first-place. Good review Shawna.

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  2. Much love Dan. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it

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