Pitch Perfect

April 10, 2013

I only got wind about this film after I saw a couple of teenagers singing a song a capella while rhythmically flipping tumblers during a birthday party earlier this year. They said it was from a movie called "Pitch Perfect," so I got curious and sought out a copy to see what this film was all about.

This film's theme is very much like "Glee." Some misfit girls try to make their mark in college by joining a disgraced a capella singing group called the Bellas. The story follows the Bellas as they try to be the first all-girl group to win Nationals. However, with all the drama queens in their small group (ala "Mean Girls"), it is not going to be easy an easy task.

This film is currently very popular with the teenage set. However, for me, the humor is already very much at the boundary of raunchy comedy at times for this age group. Definitely, it crossed the gross-out comedy boundary of PG with all the inexplicably voluminous projectile vomiting scenes. There were some weird comedy like the mousy Asian girl Lilly whose voice was so soft you'd wonder how she got into a singing group at all. (She is cute though, but she says the darnedest things, if you actually hear what she says.)

The central character is a freshman named Beca, who want to be a musician against the wishes of her father, who wants her to go into the academe. The personality of Beca, as played by Oscar nominee Anna Kendrick, was so unlikable. She sticks out like a sore thumb playing it so seriously while the others were obviously having fun with their characters, especially Rebel Wilson (as Fat Amy). I can't really say I was rooting for Beca at all to make it in anything, be it career-wise or romantically.

The singing scenes, which were supposed to be the highlight of the film, were hit and miss. Some were very good, like "No Diggity" and the other songs sung during the sing-off in the gym. However, there were those where the mix was not too good. The final song number by the Bellas in particular, while generally good, was marred by a terribly pitchy solo by no less than Beca herself.  As for the a capella number of the boys, well for me, the Warblers on "Glee" were much better.

Anyway, despite all my problems with the execution of this film, in general it was entertaining to watch. I may be out of their target demographic hence my middling review, but I can completely see why the teen set loves this film with all the hip song mash-ups and the funny scenes and lines.  But I do hope these teen fans are mature enough to recognize that this is only comedy movie, so far from what really matters or happens when they are in college.  But hey, who am I to judge, as I also did pass through my own naughty teen movie phase when I was their age.  I don't think I was mature enough when I watched those films back then (which were probably worse than this one), but I think turned out okay.  Haha!