Pitch Perfect

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Rebel Wilson
Director: Jason Moore
Running Time: 1 hour, 52 minutes
Rating: PG-13

Pitch Perfect is aca-awesome. For those of you that haven’t seen the movie, that joke will fall very flat. From “aca-scuse me?” to “aca-believe it!”, we hear just about every pun for the term “a cappella,” a style of music that doesn’t use instruments, only sounds from singers’ mouths. The film is much better than the previews, and harkens me back to my days of drooling over the UNC Clefhangers, except this film lacks eye candy, and is a coming-of-age girl power movie.

Anna Kendrick came out of nowhere in the “Twilight” saga, and unfortunately isn’t very likeable as emo college freshman, Beca. She spends all of her free time mixing beats on her laptop instead of socializing and participating in the true college experience (like eating late night – seriously, she needs a cheeseburger.) In typical fashion, her dad doesn’t understand her dream of being a music producer, and encourages her to find an extra-curricular activity before she gives up and moves to LA. Enter the Barden Bellas.

Anna Camp (UNCSA alum) and Brittany Snow are perfect as Aubrey and Chloe, the leaders of this female a cappella group, whose performances include only songs from the 20^th century, while wearing flight attendant outfits. Needless to say, Beca is terrified. After “initiation” (very sorority-like), she makes the group nervous by suggesting they modernize their act. When she tosses in the chorus of “Bulletproof” during their performance of “The Sign,” everyone is too thrown to notice how aca-mazing it sounds.

No teen movie would be complete without the element of forbidden romance, this time between Beca and the Treble Makers’ Jesse (who can def sing, as he was in the original cast of “Spring Awakening.”) I’m apparently the one person in the world not on the Rebel Wilson bandwagon, though I’m sure many people would find her to be the comedic relief of the film when asked. However, the correct answer is, Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins. Their inappropriate and “did they really just say that?!” lines were perfect during the a cappella competitions. I would listen to them commentate on anything.

If you enjoy "Glee", you will appreciate this film. The catty girl interactions, possible lesbian moments and mash-ups are enough to satisfy any Gleek, and you’ll catch yourself singing along in the theatre.