To be perfectly honest, I didn’t expect to like “Pitch Perfect”. I’m not a fan of Glee, or any show akin to The Voice or American Idol featuring cringe-worthy reinterpretations of classic songs. In fact, I’m not big on cover tunes in general. And yet, despite my personal predisposition against the high stakes world of competitive college a cappella singing, this movie won me over with its charming cast and comedic chops.
Based loosely on the non-fiction book by Mickey Rapkin, this adaptation follows Beca (Anna Kendrick), a university freshman who’d much rather be re-mixing tunes and producing music than attending classes. That is, until she is forced by her father to take a more active role at school and join at least one social group. She’s soon recruited by The Bellas, a female singing group desperate to shake a humiliating performance at the Nationals and defeat their bitter rivals – a ridiculous, grandstanding, all male troupe known as The Treblemakers.
It was wise move to tell the story from the point of view of an outsider. As Kendrick’s character is initiated into this strange world, so is the audience. In fact, the looks of stunned disbelief at her team member’s bizarre behavior are easily identifiable. And, unlike the musical television shows mentioned previously that take themselves so very seriously, the movie openly acknowledges the absurdities of this oddball-singing clique (as well as other fringe groups on campus). There are frequently hilarious, good-natured jabs made at the expense of a cappella, most notably from a pair of color commentators covering the big competitions (Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins).
Perhaps the greatest observation comes when one of the most arrogant of the Treblemakers “stars” comes face to face with a veteran a cappella group, who are now middle-aged and sadly hawking their CDs at one of the competitions. There’s a standoff and numerous comedic insults, of course, but the wittiest gag is the simple fact that the unaware kid is staring at a version of himself in a mere twenty years.
Ultimately, filmmaker Jason Moore (and director of the hysterical Broadway show “Avenue Q”), displays great skill in deftly mixing some seemingly disparate elements, including musical numbers and crude physical humor. It also helps that the flick’s broad, slapstick moments are effectively sold by the talented young cast. The group consistently displays a high energy level that keeps the more familiar elements of the flick from becoming tiring.
The plot is formulaic and there are no big surprises – except for how funny this film ultimately winds up being. I still may not feel the connection to performing and reinterpreting songs the way that the characters do, yet I couldn’t help but laugh and appreciate the perfect comedic tone. The simple fact that “Pitch Perfect” managed to win me over may itself be an ovation-worthy accomplishment.