Anna Kendrick stars in "Pitch Perfect" as Beca, an aspiring DJ who joins The Bellas, the all-female a cappella group at her college. While she is one of the main stars, the entire cast does a wonderful job -- especially the ladies. With their chemistry and camaraderie, it's easy to root for them as they compete against the school's all-male a cappella group, The Treblemakers.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- I don't think I've ever laughed as hard during a movie as I did in "Pitch Perfect," and the same could probably be said for my fellow audience members. We were in hysterics every five minutes.
It's safe to say that Kay Cannon (who has written for "30 Rock") has written the funniest movie of the year. Her "Pitch Perfect" screenplay is loosely based on the non-fictional novel of the same name. It revolves around an all-female college a cappella group, The Bellas, as they embark on a journey to win a national a cappella competition.
Aubrey (Anna Camp, "The Help") and her best friend Chloe (Brittany Snow, "Hairspray") are tasked with rebuilding the group now that the previous leader has graduated. Unfortunately, after a nasty incident at last year's national competition involving Aubrey, her nerves and a steady stream of vomit, they're having some trouble persuading potential students.
Meanwhile, Beca (Anna Kendrick, "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World") has arrived at Barden College against her will because her father, a teacher at the university, does not approve of her dream. Beca wants to go to Los Angeles and produce music, becoming a famous DJ. She spends her time with her headphones on, producing mash-ups and remixes.
He tells her that if she gets involved with one club and decides she still doesn't want to stay in college, he will pay her way to LA. With that, she decides to give The Bellas a shot.
There's a huge cast of characters, but two especially stand out. The first is Beca's love interest, Jesse (Skylar Astin, "Hamlet 2"), who's on The Bellas' all-male rival team, The Treblemakers, led by Bumper (Adam DeVine, "Workaholics"). The second is Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson, "Bridesmaids"), who provides the most laughs as she rapidly fires off quip after quip.
The movie would fail if it weren't for the performances. Though Kendrick, Camp, Snow and Wilson are clearly the main "stars," the rest of the actresses do a wonderful job. Because of the chemistry and sense of camaraderie between the actors, it's easy to root for The Bellas.
Music is obviously important to the film as well, and the cast does a wonderful job with it. Highlights include a melody of "Songs About Sex" ("S&M"/"Let's Talk About Sex"/"I'll Make Love to You"/"Feels Like The First Time"/"No Diggity") during a "riff-off" between all the school's a cappella groups, and the unbelievable earworm of a melody The Bellas perform at Nationals ("Price Tag"/"Don't You (Forget About Me)"/"Give Me Everything"/"Just the Way You Are"/"Party in the USA"/"Turn the Beat Around").
The only real flaw in the film comes in the form of the color commentators at each performance: Gail (Elizabeth Banks, "The Hunger Games"), and John (John Michael Higgins, "Bad Teacher"). While their commentary is hilarious, they feel very out of place with the nature of the film; it's almost as if they're characters in a different movie altogether.
"Pitch Perfect" is a real comedic treat that combines the humor and female bonding of "Bridesmaids" with the musical performances of "Glee."
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- I don't think I've ever laughed as hard during a movie as I did in
"Pitch Perfect," and the same could probably be said for my fellow audience members. We were in hysterics every five minutes.
It's safe to say that Kay Cannon (who has written for "30 Rock") has written the funniest movie of the year. Her "Pitch Perfect" screenplay is loosely based on the non-fictional novel of the same name. It revolves around an all-female college a cappella group, The Bellas, as they embark on a journey to win a national a cappella competition.
Aubrey (Anna Camp, "The Help") and her best friend Chloe (Brittany Snow, "Hairspray") are tasked with rebuilding the group now that the previous leader has graduated. Unfortunately, after a nasty incident at last year's national competition involving Aubrey, her nerves and a steady stream of vomit, they're having some trouble persuading potential students.
Meanwhile, Beca (Anna Kendrick, "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World") has arrived at Barden College against her will because her father, a teacher at the university, does not approve of her dream. Beca wants to go to Los Angeles and produce music, becoming a famous DJ. She spends her time with her headphones on, producing mash-ups and remixes.
He tells her that if she gets involved with one club and decides she still doesn't want to stay in college, he will pay her way to LA. With that, she decides to give The Bellas a shot.
There's a huge cast of characters, but two especially stand out. The first is Beca's love interest, Jesse (Skylar Astin, "Hamlet 2"), who's on The Bellas' all-male rival team, The Treblemakers, led by Bumper (Adam DeVine, "Workaholics"). The second is Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson, "Bridesmaids"), who provides the most laughs as she rapidly fires off quip after quip.
The movie would fail if it weren't for the performances. Though Kendrick, Camp, Snow and Wilson are clearly the main "stars," the rest of the actresses do a wonderful job. Because of the chemistry and sense of camaraderie between the actors, it's easy to root for The Bellas.
Music is obviously important to the film as well, and the cast does a wonderful job with it. Highlights include a melody of "Songs About Sex" ("S&M"/"Let's Talk About Sex"/"I'll Make Love to You"/"Feels Like The First Time"/"No Diggity") during a "riff-off" between all the school's a cappella groups, and the unbelievable earworm of a melody The Bellas perform at Nationals ("Price Tag"/"Don't You (Forget About Me)"/"Give Me Everything"/"Just the Way You Are"/"Party in the USA"/"Turn the Beat Around").
The only real flaw in the film comes in the form of the color commentators at each performance: Gail (Elizabeth Banks, "The Hunger Games"), and John (John Michael Higgins, "Bad Teacher"). While their commentary is hilarious, they feel very out of place with the nature of the film; it's almost as if they're characters in a different movie altogether.
"Pitch Perfect" is a real comedic treat that combines the humor and female bonding of "Bridesmaids" with the musical performances of "Glee."
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