Review of Camp (2003) by Daniel P — 01 Jun 2007

"You know, I think I've met your sister, Cinderella." Five stars? Hell yes. For me, star ratings are kind of dependant on what a film sets out to achieve, so whilst this many not be an all-out masterpiece a la Hitchcock, Polanski, 'insert your favorite auteur here' etc etc.

, Camp accomplishes exactly what aspires to, delivers in spades, and is in my view very successful indeed. A mixed group of talented kids go to drama camp for the holidays to act, sing and dance - for some, Camp Ovation is the only place where they feel they fit in - it's a place where they can escape, or follow ambitions, or reset their personalities, and subvert their own and others expectations of them.

The characters, chief among them 'plain Jane' Ellen (Joanna Chilcoat), handsome, somewhat confused and attention seeking Vlad (Daniel Letterle), gay outsider Michael (Robin DeJesus) and talented Dee (Sasha Allen), are surprisingly well crafted for a modern 'musical', and the actors who portray them are a talented bunch of people (Robin DeJesus is particularly impressive, and Daniel Letterle gets to show he's more than a pretty face as the movie progresses).

Some may accuse the story of being predictable, but it has conviction and follows through with plot points that in lesser films would be forced to the background or kept as subtext. Director/Writer Todd Graff, drawing on his own experiences at a musical camp, displays a knack for one-liners and adolescent emotions (sexuality is especially well realised), and the musical numbers are very well staged.

Funny, perceptive, emotionally engaging and way better than I had expected it to be. Crank up your volume for the musical numbers. "I tell you something. They're a bunch of little freaks... and the more normal we try and make them, the more lonely and isolated they're gonna feel.

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