Review of Pitch Perfect (2012) by Clarisesamuels — 06 May 2015

It is always entertaining to see a lot of young people on a stage singing and dancing their hearts out, especially when they are always in synchronization and in perfect harmony—as long as one ignores the odd circumstance where the group leader vomits on stage because of nerves. This is a film about a cappella singing, which is group or solo singing without any accompaniment. To compensate, the performers can mimic percussion and other instruments with their voices. In other words, they “make music with their mouths.” It is depicted as a subculture on college campuses, with a series of national competitions that result in a grand prize for the ultimate winners.

All actors can sing, dance, and fence, as well as act, and this movie is a good excuse to let them do all those things (minus the fencing). The film is almost a showcase for Anna Kendrick, who plays Beca, a disgruntled undergraduate who would rather be DJ'ing in LA, but who has promised her professorial dad to at least give higher education a chance. She arrives on campus and the very same day is approached by The Bellas, an all-female a cappella group that desperately needs to beef up their membership and to repair their damaged reputation. Although Beca has expressed no interest in singing and performance art, she joins the group and becomes the star performer almost immediately. A petite brunette, she is physically slender and beautiful, as is the red-headed Chloe (Brittany Snow) and blond Aubrey (Anna Camp). Beca's soulful eyes are always professionally made up with black eyeliner that must be waterproof, because her make-up is perfect even when she's in the shower and when she's crying.

In case this kind of blond, brunette, and red-headed perfection is sending the wrong message to anorexic undergraduates, the group (in desperation) accepts Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) as a new addition. They also welcome an African-American (Ester Dean) to their ensemble. However, these less conventional characters are presented as parodies. Even the one Asian in the group (Hana Mae Lee) has some kind of exaggerated speech defect that renders her almost inaudible when she is speaking; it is not clear how she is able to project her voice as a singer in the group.

It all comes together when the group starts their sassy, sashaying stage numbers, which are all excellent. The producers have forged ahead with Pitch Perfect II, which is opening in another week as of this writing. At this point, the actors who are playing undergraduates are in their late 20's; Kendrick and Snow are 29, and Camp is 32, which is only going to strain credulity even more.