Movie of the Day #9: Pitch Perfect

Pitch Perfect (2012)

The Story: In Barden University, freshman Beca set foot for the first time in college to honor her father's wish, but what she really loves is to play and make music. With a challenge from her father, she decided to join one of the so-called organized nerd singing groups, an all-girl-a-capella group, named Barden Bellas, and suprisingly formed a great bond with them. With an asian dormate, match pitching guys, a lot of music making and word playing with just mouths and voices, extraordinary friends, amazing DJ skills, Beca put her own twist to the a capella world. 

Cast: Anna Kendrink as Beca, Skylar Astin as Jesse, Brittany Snow as Chloe, Anna Camp as Aubrey, Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy.

Genre: Comedy, Musical

SPOILERS!

Why I love it and why will you? 

      Despite my love for some action and fantasy, heavy drama and inspiring stories, what I love most is comedy (there's nothing like laughing your heart out with such pleasure) and musical (entertaining singing and dancing numbers). This movie just brought two of my favorite things! (though it still can't beat and no where near my favorite classic Singin' in the Rain, still Pitch Perfect is something).

      Also I'm a big fan of a capella. I have a couple of songs from when I was still in high school from a group called Akafellas, totally amazing group of guys. And I always make sure that my phone or my other music player will have those songs. Then, it made my heart skip a beat when the Dalton Academy Warblers came to Glee. And now I basically am taken with the amazing a capella performer Mike Tompkins after I saw his Starships cover with the Pitch Perfect cast. 

    This movie is really entertaining. The amazing performances and a lot of funny satirical moments were enjoyable to watch that I could watch it a million times exaggeratedly, but I did had watched it for four times in only a 24 hour period (and while I write this I'm watching it on a quarter corner of the screen). It's one of those chick flicks that you'd really want to see over and over because you enjoy it so much.

The Cast
        The cast was pretty charming and amusing to watch. And all are super talented and have such great voices. 

     I love Fat Amy, at first I thought she has that irritating character but she's totally hilarious! It doesn't matter how many times I've watched this, I still always laugh with her scenes. She's really fascinating to watch. 

      I also really like Jesse, I mean he loves movies and popcorn plus he's super funny and caring, not to mention his super great voice. What more could you ask for? (He reminds me of Josh Radnor of How I Met Your Mother, and how cool that his character's name in Liberal Arts is Jesse as well)

      I also did like Beca, and I don't know if you noticed, but she always does this laughing smile (the thing when you're preventing your self to laugh, but that smile couldn't really resist to because there is something totally outrageous) and then turns to a serious face, so cute to watch. On a serious note, just like Beca, I too am one of those who didn't have lot of friends who were girls before college (I mean I do have girl friends but not like a group of girl friends you hang out with most of the time, if you know what I mean), and having been separated with my sister in college and being with my first year girl barkada and my lovely RLE which is composed of mostly girls, I realized that it's pretty amazing and is so much fun. Also, I kind of shut some people out at times, like there is this automatic thing in me that says "this has to stop", and true it's an easier way to deal with stuff yet lonely.  
       
     I'm becoming to like Anna Kendrick as well (she's on Broadway, how amazing is that?!), she's like Kristen Stewart funny alter ego and I think she really fits well of her character since she is kind of sarcastic in most of the interviews I've seen of her. I wish to hear and see more of her singing and acting. I didn't actually appreciate her that much in Twilight saga and What to Expect When You're Expecting (where I've only seen her, I think, oh and Scott Pilgrims vs the World), you bet that I'm going to watch her other movies as well. 

       Though not a big fan of Aubrey's psychological projectile vomiting, I kinda feel for her having so much pressure, she seems to be the bitch in the movie but it turns out that she is just misunderstood. (I knew I saw her somewhere, and it's actually on Glee, when she was one of the judge in Sectionals) 

        Chloe was cool too, but kind of perplexing since a lot is going on with her character. I'm a fan of Brittany Snow, whether she's the good girl or the grade-A bitch in her movies. Love her!  

 

       There is also Lilly (Hana Mae Lee) who I totally can't understand at first because of her very very loud voice! 

      

The commentators, John (John Michael Higgins) and Gail (Elizabeth Banks), were pretty funny as well and their inappropriate dialogues are hilarious. 

    But there are some which I don't really get, like that arrogant guy and leader of the Treblemaker, Bumper (Adam Devine), he really irritates me! I super hate him, Errr! And what happened with Kimmy Jin? "Happy Spring break"? That's it? I'm pretty much hoping for a sort of reconciliation, but it seems I would just keep on hoping. 

Hmmmm

      It actually has a generic plot like those of the movies involving competitions - Bring It On and some of the Step Up movie. There's the cliched new guy/girl who wants or doesn't want to belong but belong anyways. The guy eventually get the girl (vice versa), like what Beca said, and they are the ones who win in the competition by the end of the movie. Though I don't really care much about that, what really matters for me is the lesson it would like to portray and the entertainment it gave us. I believe that there's more room for innovation in this very refreshing a capella movie. In the sequels maybe?  

     The only thing I could say contradicting with what the movie have shown/said, is when it (The Kick-Ass villain guy) tried to mock or insult Glee (basing from the description itself and the category "Songs ruined by Glee" in the riff-off) that what they have is not just some high school club where they can sing and dance their way out any big social issues and confused sexuality, that if they're looking for that, they have come to the wrong place. Well, I think that is what the show did portray by the end of the movie. That despite their differences and issues they still make a good team - like the sense of Glee after all. 

     I hate to say this, but maybe it's because of their costumes/attire that makes their stage performances seem flimsy. The Bella uniform make them look like flight attendants, the jackets with different inside shirts were too laid-back for a competition, and do they really plan to wear the same costumes over and over again? It does not have to be all the same, just need to be sleek. They can be individually different but at the same time in line with the theme of the group's attire as a whole. The last performance of the Bellas would have been perfect. I understand that they wanted to make an impression or statement but still, classy costumes are classy as it is and budget wise, I don't think they have problem with it considering the houses of the different a capella groups.

My Favorite Scenes

     
     I have so many parts that I really like. First the shower scene, where Chloe and Beca sang Titanium; the auditions (including Beca's cup thing! There's a longer version of it in the soundtrack); I also like the part where Jesse was using the cover of the records to catch Beca's attention; also the singing in the coaster was really fun to watch (and it really reminds me times when everyone around me are singing and I'm just the only one who isn't. I just don't sing in public as much as I can. Quoting the tone-deaf sidekick "If I could sing a lick in any human way possible, I would, but I can't and I hate myself every day because of it"); and the first mash-up of the Bellas in the pool; and of course the final performances of the Treblemakers and the Bellas were amazing. 

Lastly, the riff-off in the swimming pool, best part for me. Simply Aca-mazing!

Watch this clip

I personally like to praise the screenwriter, Kay Cannon, for such an amazing job! 

 This is a movie worth watching!

Will be watching The Breakfast Club because of this. 

Credits for the photos

facebook.com/pitchperfectmovie

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